“Mahashmashana” Father John Misty
6th album for Josh Tillman as Father John Misty, who was once the drummer for Fleet Foxes. Tillman is now a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, bass and more. “Mahashmashana” (an anglicized version of the Sanskrit word for ‘great cremation ground’) continues Father John Misty’s rather bleak view of the state of humanity. His perspectives are delivered through largely fully orchestrated, theatrical pieces that incorporate lyrics with wry humor and insights — producing captivating, memorable music with a message. One of his most highly critically acclaimed works in years. RIYL: More melodramatic Andrew Bird, Andy Shauf or Fleet Foxes.
— Francis

Highly recommended: 7, 1, 2, 5, 3. FCCs on 9, 10 and 11.

1. (9:21) Mahashmashana (Clean Edit) — Sprawling, cinematic nine-minute opener. Stately pacing. Relatively quiet moments that build into swelling, over-the-top anthemic chamber pop. ****
2. (4:27) She Cleans Up (Clean Edit) — Funky, bluesy rock reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival or the Black Keys. Edgy and guitar-centric with pounding drums, cowbell and slightly distorted, rapid-fire vocals. ***
3. (5:12) Josh Tillman And The Accidental Dose — Luxurious, laid-back, jazzy soft rock. Chill vocals with autobiographical lyrics about how Tillman faced up to his drug-related burnout of a few years ago. Piano-forward, with orchestral attacks. Clash-y and discordant ending. ***
4. (6:28) Mental Health — Starts as a sappy, sentimental lounge tune before evolving into something a bit bigger and intentionally pretentious with the help of a full orchestra and a saxophone solo.
5. (6:52) Screamland (Clean Edit) — Commentary on the addiction of the L.A. dream, where “everyone is perfect beneath their robes.” Musically, quieter sections are set off against over-driven, wall-of-sound choruses with the song title metaphorically screamed. ***
6. (5:13) Being You — Throwback mid-70s vibe. Slow groove with airy keys, strings, woodwinds and brass, a simple backbeat snare rhythm and drawn-out vocals.
7. (8:36) I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All — Fabulous, lengthy storytelling track with a syncopated, disco-inspired rhythm. Piano, chime-y synths, brass and strings, plus guitar in the lead breaks. ****
8. (4:20) Summer’s Gone — Big band ballad. Piano with crooning vocals and swirling strings.
9. (9:21) Mahashmashana (Unedited) FCC: asshole — Unedited version of track #1.
10. (4:27) She Cleans Up (Unedited) FCC: f-cking and shit — Unedited version of track #2.
11. (6:52) Screamland (Unedited) — FCC: f-ck-up Unedited version of track #5.