Father John Misty
I Love You, Honeybear
[Bella Union]
Being self-deprecating is easy, but doing it with such devastating panache, and mixing it brilliantly with wild-eyed declarations of the transformative power of love is very much not. At both nadir (Strange Encounter’s resolution to mend his ways) and zenith (the declaration of joyful surrender in Chateau Lobby #4’s middle eight), Tillman provides moments of musical ecstasy, singing his ass off over gorgeous, gooey arrangements. A record that will, in the words of American writer Steve Hyden, ‘inspire rapturous reviews and unreadable thinkpieces’, just like a classic should.
Words: Ian Lamont
