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Editorial Reviews
Father John Misty is the nom-de-plume of Josh Tillman, who has been releasing solo albums since 2003 and who left Seattle's Fleet Foxes after playing drums from 2008-2011. Fear Fun consists of such disparate elements as Waylon Jennings, Harry Nilsson, Arthur Russell, and Physical Graffiti, often within the same song. Tillman's voice has never been better, while the music maintains a dark, mysterious yet playful quality. Fear Fun is Father John Misty's Sub Pop debut and was produced by Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Well-done Joshua Tillman. It takes a lot of guts to leave one of the most successful rock bands on the planet whose star is still heading northwards to cut out on your own and produce an album that is the culmination of much forethought over time. Tillman was of course the drummer in the Fleet Foxes until he departed this year to concentrate on this project under the moniker of Father John Misty (ok the idea is a bit Will Oldham derived). He had under his belt some seven albums not least the nice bluesy Americana of 2009s "Vacilando Territory Blues" that whilst not quite turning the earth off its axis contained some fine tunes from a fine musician. In terms of "Fear Fun" his latest offering more risks are taken and they largely pay off in music which sees Tillman employ a more expansive template.
Undoubtedly some will argue that the ghosts of Laurel Canyon haunt his production but damn it if its good enough for Dawes and Jonathan Wilson why can't old Joshua have a slice of the action? In decamping to Los Angeles to record this album Tillman also seems to cultivated a sense of humour which was somewhat lacking from previous records. He describes the album as "weird-ass songs about weird-ass experiences" which allude to such existential luminaries Sartre and Heidegger as inspiration. Whether such a bunch of angst ridden philosophers is a good template for essentially West coast rock music is a debate that this reviewer will leave to the cleverer purchasers on Amazon, suffice it say that that large parts of this record are upbeat and in the equation of the title fun triumphs over fear. The use of otherworldly substances clearly plays a part in all this and Tillman admits that on his journey from rainy Seattle to humid LA he was carrying "enough mushrooms to choke a horse." Well they worked and on the truly lovely standout track "Nancy from now on" you hear the product of a man puffing out his chest, expanding his lungs and confidentially striding forward as a great songwriter with a lovely slice of work infused with a wicked set of lyrics. In "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" he produces a punchy rock song that has been over the music blogs like flooding water in a wet April. He even seems to poke fun at the overused classic sick note excuse when he states that "Jesus Christ, girl/What are people gonna think/When I show up to one of several funerals/I've attended for grandpa this week". Best of the lot is the ghostly "Fun times in Babylon" where Tillman finds his niche in a slow alt country lament which confirms his departure from the Fleet Foxes is built on a sound foundations which should see him cut his own expanse as a solo artist. Equally "Oh I Long to feel your arms around me" sees him occupy the territory once colonized by bands like Poco and America. It is a song that allows him like all good hippies to display a nice sense of guilt not least he when he frets about the industry he works in and advises "Try not to think so much about/The truly staggering amount of oil/ That it takes to make a record/All the shipping, the vinyl, the cellophane lining/The high gloss/The tape and the "gear". Other songs to mentioned in dispatches includes the warm summer country feel of "Misty's nightmares 1 & 2" and the cracking confessional finale of "Everyman needs a companion". A nod also to the colourful psychedelic art of Dima Drjuchin on the cover of this CD which is to praised for the sheer imagination that has gone into it.
There are a couple of missteps here. The rather clichéd sub Beatles style ballad "Sally Hatchet" who allegedly "lives in a hole in the ground" does grate a bit, whilst "Writing a novel" again sounds like a weak John Lennon track. Yet overall this is an album brimming with ideas and a set of ingenious lyrics, which have been properly worked on and refined. As such whether Father John Misty becomes Tillman's permanent alter ego or a character part for this record matters little for now when they there is such good music contained within "Fear Fun" to learn to love and devour.
Undoubtedly some will argue that the ghosts of Laurel Canyon haunt his production but damn it if its good enough for Dawes and Jonathan Wilson why can't old Joshua have a slice of the action? In decamping to Los Angeles to record this album Tillman also seems to cultivated a sense of humour which was somewhat lacking from previous records. He describes the album as "weird-ass songs about weird-ass experiences" which allude to such existential luminaries Sartre and Heidegger as inspiration. Whether such a bunch of angst ridden philosophers is a good template for essentially West coast rock music is a debate that this reviewer will leave to the cleverer purchasers on Amazon, suffice it say that that large parts of this record are upbeat and in the equation of the title fun triumphs over fear. The use of otherworldly substances clearly plays a part in all this and Tillman admits that on his journey from rainy Seattle to humid LA he was carrying "enough mushrooms to choke a horse." Well they worked and on the truly lovely standout track "Nancy from now on" you hear the product of a man puffing out his chest, expanding his lungs and confidentially striding forward as a great songwriter with a lovely slice of work infused with a wicked set of lyrics. In "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" he produces a punchy rock song that has been over the music blogs like flooding water in a wet April. He even seems to poke fun at the overused classic sick note excuse when he states that "Jesus Christ, girl/What are people gonna think/When I show up to one of several funerals/I've attended for grandpa this week". Best of the lot is the ghostly "Fun times in Babylon" where Tillman finds his niche in a slow alt country lament which confirms his departure from the Fleet Foxes is built on a sound foundations which should see him cut his own expanse as a solo artist. Equally "Oh I Long to feel your arms around me" sees him occupy the territory once colonized by bands like Poco and America. It is a song that allows him like all good hippies to display a nice sense of guilt not least he when he frets about the industry he works in and advises "Try not to think so much about/The truly staggering amount of oil/ That it takes to make a record/All the shipping, the vinyl, the cellophane lining/The high gloss/The tape and the "gear". Other songs to mentioned in dispatches includes the warm summer country feel of "Misty's nightmares 1 & 2" and the cracking confessional finale of "Everyman needs a companion". A nod also to the colourful psychedelic art of Dima Drjuchin on the cover of this CD which is to praised for the sheer imagination that has gone into it.
There are a couple of missteps here. The rather clichéd sub Beatles style ballad "Sally Hatchet" who allegedly "lives in a hole in the ground" does grate a bit, whilst "Writing a novel" again sounds like a weak John Lennon track. Yet overall this is an album brimming with ideas and a set of ingenious lyrics, which have been properly worked on and refined. As such whether Father John Misty becomes Tillman's permanent alter ego or a character part for this record matters little for now when they there is such good music contained within "Fear Fun" to learn to love and devour.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Daniel Ting
Format:Audio CD
I enjoyed this album a lot, more than I initially expected. I read about the album before hearing the music and I wasn't sure I was going to like it, especially after seeing his videos for "Nancy" and "Hollywood", which I found a tad disturbing. Eventually I decided to give it a chance after seeing his performance on Letterman, which I absolutely loved. To my surprise, what I found was from start to finish I didn't really find anything I didn't like. For one, I like Josh Tillman's voice better than Robin Pecknold's. The songs here are a little more straightforward, musically, than any of the Fleet Foxes' stuff. I guess it would fit comfortably in the folk-rock genre, but there's bits of Americana, country and blues thrown in as well, with less of the vocal harmonies and elaborate instrumentation that dominate Fleet Foxes' music.
"This Is Sally Hatchet" is a standout for me, with the cathartic opening guitar chords and the really wonderful vocal melody, which is full of pleasant surprises. "O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me" has a Fleet Foxes vibe to it, with the organs and vocal harmonies in the background. It reminds me a little of the ending bit of Fleet Foxes' "Mykonos." "Tee Pees 1-12" has a definite country feel with the fiddles, and "I'm Writing A Novel" sounds like some unplugged version of a rock song you've heard somewhere but can't quite remember when.
I think what makes this album interesting and special, though, is the lyrics. If you've been following Josh Tillman's Twitter account, you'll know that he has an extremely wonderful sense of humor and that he's pretty good with words. Some of the more interesting lyrics for me are in songs like "I'm Writing A Novel," "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" and "Only Son of the Ladiesman."
This man knows what he's doing.
"This Is Sally Hatchet" is a standout for me, with the cathartic opening guitar chords and the really wonderful vocal melody, which is full of pleasant surprises. "O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me" has a Fleet Foxes vibe to it, with the organs and vocal harmonies in the background. It reminds me a little of the ending bit of Fleet Foxes' "Mykonos." "Tee Pees 1-12" has a definite country feel with the fiddles, and "I'm Writing A Novel" sounds like some unplugged version of a rock song you've heard somewhere but can't quite remember when.
I think what makes this album interesting and special, though, is the lyrics. If you've been following Josh Tillman's Twitter account, you'll know that he has an extremely wonderful sense of humor and that he's pretty good with words. Some of the more interesting lyrics for me are in songs like "I'm Writing A Novel," "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" and "Only Son of the Ladiesman."
This man knows what he's doing.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
this has to be one of the best album's i have heard in a long time. excellent songwriting. also have viewed the some of the video's that go with this and it makes the songs alot more powerfull. it is worth getting and just play over and over!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I got my record
I got my record on time and I needed in on my collection and I wasn't able to find it in the town I live in
Published 14 days ago by Paul
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great album
I can hear the Influence that was missing from the recent Fleet Foxes album featured on this album. Lots of catchy songs
Published 14 days ago by Alex Guichard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond description
I saw Father John Misty on Letterman and knew I was in love...unique, naughty and man can Tillman sing! Read more
Published 17 days ago by Dawn Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite albums of the year so far!
Love this album, it reminds me of 60's-70's drug music, flowers in your hair sort of thing. His vocals are great as are the stories of the songs!
Published 18 days ago by Kyle F Dohmen
2.0 out of 5 stars
Father John Misty's new cd
I heard the song Nancy From Now On Alt Nation on Sirius satellite radio & the song just blew me away.The accompanying video on YouTube is excellent as well. Read more
Published 24 days ago by A. Conklin
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing
A brilliant album--mix of folk and admirable creativity that often pulls psy-pop elements from the 60s and 70s. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brendan Andrew Oates
2.0 out of 5 stars
Come on, this is not rock.
Sorry, this is drivel. Not a decent melody or guitar driven song on the entire CD. I'm being generous giving this two stars.
Published 1 month ago by Fogerty Fanatic
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than awesomely weird cover art
No here's something new, fresh and exciting blending the best of 60's melody hooks and feel with very current appeal. Some have difficulty getting it (?? Read more
Published 2 months ago by peter lurie
3.0 out of 5 stars
gimmicky / conflicted
I have a sense of humor, I get it, and I've tried hard to like this album, but it feels so light, like it has little heart. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Listener in Portland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Discover. Obsess. Share.
On the way to Coachella to check this 'fun' after seeing him/them live in Madison. Great listen from beginning to end. Instant Classic.
Published 3 months ago by Rada
