Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
“Whose bright idea was it to sharpen the knives, just twenty minutes ‘fore the boat capsized,” Father John Misty sings on the opening track of his new album. “If you want an answer, it’s anybody’s guess, I’m treading water as I bleed to death.”
Annnnnd we’re back. Less than a minute into Josh Tillman’s fourth record, it feels as though we’re already in familiar territory. With its dark humour and twisted lyrics weaving through lush balladry, God’s Favorite Customer seems, initially, like a clear continuation of the familiar path that his music has successfully trodden over the past few years. However, to delve deeper into this album is to find Josh Tillman at his most vulnerable.
Sure, there are plenty of obtuse, absurd moments, but there is a sense here that the artist is stripping himself back emotionally more so than ever before. “I’m in over my head,” he repeatedly admits over the simple piano backdrop of The Palace, while Please Don’t Die is desperate, honest and a far cry from the cynical, irreverent character we’ve witnessed over the past three records. “One more wasted morning, when I could be holding you to my side / Somebody stop this joyless joy ride, I’m feeling older than my thirty-five years / One more cryptic message, thinking that I might end it.”
Whilst this LP might not win over the FJM naysayers, existing fans will certainly find enough within to keep them happy. This is an record which hits its heights, ironically, when the Tillman is at his lowest and, ultimately, God’s Favorite Customer is the sound of Father John Misty letting his mask slip.
God’s Favorite Customer out June 1 via Sub Pop | ADA.
Review by Bobby Townsend.
