Under the alias Father John Misty, Los Angeles artist Josh Tillman shows no sign of dropping off the lineage of fine music and songwriting, since taking up the guise after a brief sojourn with Fleet Foxes. Possessed of one of modern rock music’s purest voices, he could literally sing the phone book (if we still had such things) and it would be amazing. Dalliances with mainstream artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Ray and Post Malone have brought some more exposure for Josh so album number six (as Father John Misty) Mahashmashana, might have a certain level of anticipation for once.
What a wondrous way to start your album than the joyous drum roll that leads into the majestic orchestral sweep of ‘Mahashmashana’. Settling into a marvellous melodic finesse that Elton John would have played back in his 70s pomp, the song is a beauty and the swell that leads into the euphoric chorus is a hair-raising moment. Josh is possessed of one of those sweet voices that I could listen to all day. Whilst the (many) words are clear as crystal, the tale being told here is hard to unravel. When the sassy saxophone swaggers in and the strings really soar, as the song builds to a staggering climax, it’s just sublime.
After the grandiose and elegant opening track, the instrumentation on the jittery ‘She Cleans Up’ opts for one of those wordy songs that feature half sung, half spoken vocals where the artist tries to cram in too many words. The groove is suitably chunky and features a plethora of embellishments and effects to keep interest. When we get settled after the tumultuous previous track, it’s nice to find a smooth and laid-back groove in the dreamy ‘Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose’. Featuring some stylish Serge Gainsbourg string drops, this is a classy and confident song.
The strings on the classic sounding ‘Mental Health’ are truly sumptuous and the song really does sound like a long-lost classic from the cinematic orchestral pomp of 60s popular music. The heavenly backing vocals are divine and warming. There’s another well-placed sax break that is pure class before the song really raises the roof with some stunning strings. The first song to feature a melancholic melody is the incredible ‘Screamland’ that has a bridge/chorus combination that would bring a tear to a stone. The swell of strings, thunderous drums and deep bass hum is transcendental. It also features a certain Alan Sparhawk in there somewhere, I think that merely adds to the emotional pull of this sublime song. Easily one of the finest songs released this year.
‘Being You’ sounds positively minimalist compared to the righteous fulfilment of ‘Screamland’. A quirky twinkling keyboard pulls against the languid percussion and supplementary strings. It’s probably the weakest track on the album for me, a little too sophisticated for my liking. A sassy salsa style groove with a plethora of bongos and whatnot provides the backing for this chirpy ‘I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All’. Funky chicken grease guitar permeates the groove as Josh provides a lowkey vocal delivery, reigning in any histrionics. At a staggering 8 minutes long though, the song suffers from Josh’s frequent desire to tell a story. The album closes with the majestic ballad ‘Summer’s Gone’. The arrangements here are pure class. It sounds like a Cole Porter song, dripping in beautiful strings that conjure up magical images of a stage of dancers swaying around in top hat and tails. Josh sings tenderly with emotion and his phrasing is perfection. Absolutely glorious.
Josh Tillman is certainly a hard-working artist, his recorded output has been steadily building since he left Fleet Foxes. I’ve dabbled with each release after finding a particular affinity for his song ‘I Love You, Honeybear’. Typically, I’d find at least one bona fide classic song mixed in with music that never really wanes from being of a certain quality. By taking this album to review I find myself having to pay more attention. But that’s okay as Mahashmashana has some of Tillman’s finest songs and the arrangements throughout are truly stunning.
