carlos: Mahashmashana by Father John Misty

12/3/2024

There's really only a handful of artists I've followed since my teenage years, and Father John Misty is one of them. I remember playing the hell out of 'Fear Fun' back in the day and sticking with his albums all the way to my favorite, 'God's Favorite Customer', and most recently, the admittedly disappointing 'Chloë and the Next 20th Century'. I didn't approach this latest album with soaring expectations after 'Chloë', yet it truly managed to surpass them. The title track has quickly become one of my favorite songs of the year, and I’m thrilled he returned to this chamber pop sound, rather than the jazzy traditional pop he explored two years ago. There’s still room for experimentation, though; for instance, ‘She Cleans Up’ brings in a garage rock edge, ‘I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All’ has hints of disco, and the unexpected electronic elements in ‘Screamland’ take me back to the 'I Love You, Honeybear' days. It was fascinating to hear his voice get somewhat lost amid the chaotic instrumentation in the chorus. This is one of those records where most tracks require a few listens to truly appreciate, especially since they tend to average around six minutes long. While I may not consider this his best record, it is still extremely good - there's a hint of all past FJM records in 'Mahashmashana' combined with Josh's signature sardonic songwriting.

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