What's your opinion on Father John Misty?

[Neige]

His first album really grew on me.

He just released a preview (=title track) of his second one.



I like it a lot on first listen, although it's just a tad too Don-McLeany. Haven't really grasped the lyrics, but they seem to pan religion.

What do you think?

[toomanyhatz]

Big fan. I like his dark sense of humor a great deal. I think he writes great love songs, 'cause the love part is so sincere, but the people who love each other find themselves in such surreal situations. One of my favorite new artists (John Grant is warmer, but they're comparable in some ways).

[Neige]

Big fan. I like his dark sense of humor a great deal. I think he writes great love songs, 'cause the love part is so sincere, but the people who love each other find themselves in such surreal situations. One of my favorite new artists (John Grant is warmer, but they're comparable in some ways).

Yeah, I can see the similarities with John Grant. I feel more... playfulness in FJM's stuff, a lightness of touch.

[Geezee]

As I mentioned elsewhere, he was excellent live - it was uncanny how he channels his voice. I do find his lyrics grating occasionally, he keeps grappling with his own modern millennial self-consciousness and irony, but he's writing some stone-cold classics right now. I notice, to the extent that I have (a limited) connection with younger people, that it seems people in their 20s really look to him and his music for guidance - he does seem to be capturing the zeitgeist and articulating it in a way that is resonating very well. I'm not quite sure it captures me in the same way, but it's definitely interesting to see where he is going.

[toomanyhatz]

This is rather marvelous, both the song and the video:

[never/ever]

I'm with Geezee- I like him live a lot- saw hi at the Opera House a year ago and he was mesmerizing- great vocalist, entertaining and sharp. Honeybear was a good album, had to listen to it a few times just to get through the sugary bits in the arrangements. He did some nice live-sessions without strings which did more for me.

I like the preview of the new one....so one to look forward to.

[rorebhoy]

I really like FJM - Fear Fun and I Love You Honeybear are probably the two most played things for me over the past few years*. Both very different albums - first one, a country feel to it, while the second is very string laden and syrupy in places - though as someone said, the live versions without accompaniment are different beasts. His lyrics are great. The new album comes out April 7th - looking forward to seeing him live when he tours with it.

How he ever fitted in with the fleet foxes, I don't know (though guess there's a reason he lasted so little time with them)

*bar 'True Affection' from ILYH - depending on my mood, it tends to get the skip button treatment

btw Sub Pop have both full length albums on YouTube if anyone wants to hear more

[rorebhoy]

This is rather marvelous, both the song and the video:

That video is great! Never watched it before.

[Nuts]

Yeah, I agree, brilliant live, possibly one of the best live vocal performances I've ever seen.

[Tactful Cactus]

Another vote for great live, and very funny to boot. He's had dramas recently, thrown hissy-fits that drew criticisms from fellow musicians but the work is good and I'm looking forward to the new album. I hear Nilsson, but yeah, I get the Don MacLean comparison too. I presume he won't be drumming with the reformed FF this summer.

[...]

Dad Rock

[Spec]

Never seen him live. Loved Honeybear. Haven't played the first album a great deal.

NPR played the single Pure Comedy this week - it's great. They noted the similarity to Elton John. Lyrics are unexpected and funny. Looking forward to the album.

[Ghost of Harry Smith]

I've tried to get with his music but find it a little cloying with more than a smidge of self-satisfied smartarsery about it.

[Neige]

Second song is out:

[toomanyhatz]

Wow, that's great. Beautiful melody.

[Ranking Ted]

He's pretty good. I liked Fear Fun and ...Honeybear very much although I could never sit through a whole LP. The whole ultra-self aware, third wall breaking stream of consciousness thing is impressively done but hard going over a longer haul. In doses, though, it works a treat and he's definitely got something. I feel almost exactly the same way as that other Honeybear, John Grant.

[Ranking Ted]

Just read the other posts, glad I'm not the only one that sees the JG connection.

[Geezee]

There are a few songs that come across far better live - last year he was opening his shows with a stunning rendition of Every Man Needs a Companion, for example, which I felt was a bit unremarkable on record. And Bored in the USA really is an anthem of its age.

[Neige]

I'm really getting more and more addicted... and I'll buy the album, no question.

[mission]

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