Album Review: Father John Misty – Mahashmashana

First finding fame as the drummer for the Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty (real name Joshua Tillman) has become one of the most unique voices on the indie rock scene. With a striking stage name inspired by his evangelical Christian upbringing, and lyrics that tap into a nihilistic anti-consumerist viewpoint he stands out from the crowd. His unique voice and perspecive has won him several awards including a Grammy and led to collaborations with artists such as Lana del Ray and Lady Gaga. His sixth studio album as Father John Misty is named Mahashmashana, a Sanskrit word meaning great cremation ground, and aims to explore the “macro and micro of endings”. 

The album doesn’t ease you into it, starting with the titular Mahashmashana – a song that stretches over nine minutes long. However Misty achieves the almost impossible, somehow making nine minutes feel not all that long. The vocals are soft and smooth and the brass, string and guitars in the backing are suitably epic. The lyrics are intelligent, ruminating on religion and modern life, as Misty sings cynically that “a perfect lie can live forever, the truth doesn’t fare so well”. As a first track Mahashmashana sets the vibe for the album, both indulgent and powerful, cynical and genuine.

She Cleans Up is the second track which is about half the length of Mahashmashana and the upbeat saxophone and electric guitar give it a Seventies rock feel. The lyrics meander from religion to politics by way of the Scarlett Johnson movie “Under the Skin”. Still, the catchy tune lightens the track up a good bit. The Seventies glam rock sound content it the autobiographically titled Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose. Electric guitar backs up a story about the singer finding himself in irritating company while taking acid. The lyrics are mutedly hilarious as Misty asks “Who wears pearls at 4am?” and opens the song with “She put on ‘astral weeks’, said ‘I love jazz’ and winkned at me”. The track has a playful tone and showcases Misty’s talent for storytelling.

The satirical tone works slightly less well in Mental Health, a muted track that doesn’t seem quite sure whether it’s satirising society’s response to mental health or giving a genuine heartfelt take. It’s followed by Screamland which takes on a similar topic to much better effect. The vocals are slow and heavy, with stripped-back strings and piano backing, moving to rock styling in the chorus. The lyrics explore feeling lost and repressing emotions asking “How long can you love someone for the weakness they conceal”. Being You take this theme further with an even more stripped back sound. Misty describes feeling like a “parody” as he tries to understand himself in the most questioning song on the album.

The album finishes out with I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All, bringing back the saxophone and jazz styling. The lyrics are far more rapid and the vocals are more upbeat. There’s still a nihilistic tone but a kind of optimistic nihilism as he accepts that time comes for everyone with an upbeat acceptance. I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All feels like a perfect end, but there is one more track, the slow and dreamy Summers Gone. It has a interesting retro production but placed at the end of the album it feels just a little too long and slow.

In Mahashmashana Father John Misty, reaffirms his talent as a songwriter and satirist. While the sheer length of many of the songs along with the complex lyrics may be off-putting to those coming to him for the first time, it is sure to please fans. There are some tracks on the album that rank up with the very best of Misty, with Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose and I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All particular standouts. The album more than justifies the long track lengths and with only eight tracks, it actually leaves you wanting more.