Father John Misty

Although many know Joshua Tillman as the drummer for Fleet Foxes, his departure from that group earlier this year wasn't much of a surprise, considering he had a thriving solo career prior to joining up with the Seattle folk-rockers. Father John Misty is Tillman's new identity, but there's still plenty on this debut album for Fleet Foxes fans to latch onto. Mostly it's in the cathedral-echo vocals, as well as Tillman's heavily spiritual lyrics. What's noticeably different is a lack of preciousness that has consistently crept into Fleet Foxes' sound. Tillman isn't afraid to get a little ragged on tracks like "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" and "I'm Writing A Novel." These provide nice contrast to Fear Fun's heavier moments, purportedly inspired by a heroic dose of magic mushrooms. The ensuing tidal wave of prose is also included on the album's extensive liners notes, which essentially does amount to Tillman's novel. With any luck, this past year hasn't completely burned him out, since Fear Fun surpasses most recent psych-folk releases, particularly Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues.