Father John Misty // Pure Comedy

Father John Misty

Pure Comedy

Sub Pop 

3/5 stars

The perpetually praised Joshua Tillman, better known as Father John Misty, can be a divisive figure. There are plenty of things worth lauding in his music, along with an equal number of eye-rollingly ham-fisted attempts at artistry. He follows the potent formula established on earlier albums, combining stream-of-consciousness lyrics with a good dose of "blue-eyed soul." Misty joins together phonetically appealing word combinations that appear to be very insightful while crooning earnestly over steadily midtempo ballads. Don't get me wrong, every track sounds fantastic. Misty's baritone vocals are creamy and full of passion, and every bit of instrumentation is lush and gorgeous. Here's the trick, though: If you ever want to immediately stop liking Father John Misty, listen to an interview with him. His persona (regardless if it's a put-on, or not), oozes with such ridiculous levels of pretension that it's nearly impossible to separate art from artist. Whether you think the emperor wears clothes or not, in a vacuum, it's an incredibly listenable album, full of quotable takeaways and hummable tunes. 

– Nick Warren