So far, this year has been a great one for music, with Death Cab for Cuties’ “Kintsugi” and Sufjan Stevens’ “Carrie & Lowell,” but one of the best has to be Father John Misty’s second studio album “I Love You, Honeybear.”
This came out in February, making those unfamiliar with Father John Misty appreciate what a great musician he his. Father John Misty is just a working name for musical artist Joshua Tillman, who used to go by J. Tillman.
Before going solo, Tillman was the drummer for the indie band Fleet Foxes. Departing from them, J. Tillman would go on to record eight albums. Tillman produced his next album, “Fear Fun,” under his new stage name, Father John Misty, which he has used since.
His songs are a magically unique mixture of soothing vibes, sexuality and spiritual themes. He skips around these themes in his albums by talking about his religious beliefs in one song and complaining about his sexual frustrations in the next.
All of these themes are brought together beautifully in “I Love You, Honeybear.” The album feels like a dream you never want to wake up from. It has a pureness that is due to its honesty. He sings about problems we all have, whether with relationships, our country or our moral endeavors. His words ring of personal experiences that add to the connections one may have for the songs.
With this album, Father John Misty focuses his lyrics more on the frustration that he has with people but at the same time his love with them. A song that gives a great overview of what the album is all about is the fourth track called “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment.” The song is a unique song that is about a unstable love-hate relationship.
Usually, a male musician will sing about how much he either loves a woman or how much he hates her. With this song Father John sings about how much he hates loving a girl; the song ends with the lyrics “I hate that soulful affectation white girls put on, why don’t you move to the Delta? I obliged later on when you begged me to choke ya.” Though the lyrics are a bit bleak, the tone of the song sounds hopeful.
Most of the songs at the beginning of the album have a upbeat quality to them, but as it goes on the songs become slower and reflective. The third to last song in the album is called “Bored in the USA” which is a play on Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” Father John Misty sings about the disappointment over the current state of the United States. Part of the lyrics go, “Is this the part where I get all I ever wanted? Who said that? Can I get my money back?”
The lyrics in “I Love You, Honeybear” have meaning and soul. The songs give listeners something to think about, leaving you with an urge to listen to the album on repeat. “I Love You, Honeybear” is a highly recommend album that is meant for everyone.
