Like anything that comes out of the mouth of
Father John Misty
-- the hipster gadfly persona
Josh Tillman
adopted after leaving
the Fleet Foxes
in 2012 -- it can be difficult to discern whether the title of
Pure Comedy
is intended sincerely.
cherishes his public role as a prankster, a stance that can sometimes seem at odds with his grand artistic ambitions. And, make no mistake about it,
is indeed a very grand record, an old-fashioned major statement designed to evoke memories of classic long-players from the '70s. Often, its stately march and decorated pianos call to mind early
Elton John
, suggesting the hazy vistas of
Madman Across the Water
. This shift toward progressive pop underscores how
has streamlined his music since
I Love You, Honeybear
, whittling away the minor feints toward modern music and stripping away lingering rustic folk influences. He's now a postmodern troubadour, halfway between a song poet and a baroque craftsman. Where his antecedents (and clear influences)
Leonard Cohen
and
Randy Newman
sculpted their music and words,
Tillman
isn't quite so restrained. He's a maximalist, overstuffing his lyrics with florid imagery and letting his songs spill out at lengths up to 13 minutes. From a certain angle, all this can play like an elaborate stunt -- particularly when he baits the listener with lines about "bedding
Taylor Swift
" -- but there's a strong melancholy undercurrent to
that suggests
is something more than a jester. All of this can be felt through the music itself -- through the melodies and movement, through the arrangement and production -- and that, more than the verbal gymnastics, is why
delivers upon much of
's outlandish promises. [An LP version added an MP3 coupon.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine