Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
“Love must find a way.”
An extremely eventful new music Friday kicked off with Mahashmashana, the sixth studio album by musician Josh Tillman under the alias Father John Misty. The eight-song LP follows three singles released across the past four months - “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All”, “Screamland” and “She Cleans Up”. Now that the full album is here, it has become clear that Tillman has delivered one of the best projects of 2024.
Mahashmashana, in a way, has elements making it similar to two other fantastic albums from this year - like The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World, this record is tremendous in its scale and grandeur, and has themes of finality and thoughts of the end present within it; and, similar to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Wild God, it combines sometimes melancholic self-reflection with an undying, faith-driven hope for the future, and for the narrator himself. However, I believe this Father John Misty project eclipses both of the aforementioned albums.
Arguably the supreme merit of this album is just how mesmerizing the sonic panorama is. From start to finish, Mahashmashana is full of beautiful instrumentation, going through several huge, careening passages, giving tracks like “Screamland” or “Summer’s Gone” an incredibly cinematic feel. The production, handled by Tillman and Drew Erickson, is absolutely stunning on every track, giving each instrument a very rich, gorgeous texture. The picture the production paints is enthralling, surrounding the listener with a beautiful world of magical optimism in the face of any challenges.
Structurally, there’s a phenomenal balance of slower, bigger tracks, and more free-spirited and energetic ones. Opening with the nine-minute epic title track was a perfect decision, too, as it does an excellent job setting up what the album is going to be, both from the standpoint of the sound, and the great lyrical content - introspective, full of memorable lines and incredibly vivid imagery, which only helps to flesh out the ethereal atmosphere of the record. Tillman’s vocal presence is perfect for the lyrics too - he brings a feel of solemnity and importance, but also of a light, effortless comfort.
Rumors suggest that Tillman may move on from the Father John Misty persona as soon as on his next project, and, if that is indeed the case, this record is a perfect sendoff for the character. Mahashmashana strikes an incredibly fine and rare balance between being monumental and set in its own dream-like world, and yet also feeling incredibly personal and connected to our reality. This quality makes it an extremely touching listen, which hooks you in from the very start and keeps you thoroughly captivated until the final note sounds.
9.5/10