Recently, Father John Misty made an announcement causing an uproar. A new album is on its way, and to indicate the album’s potential he released three singles as well. Ballad of the Dying Man, Two Wildly Different Perspectives, and the title song Pure Comedy made rounds via social media. Their overarching concept is in a tell-all essay of the piece. He glosses over the debate of whether humans are capable of progress, over whether we can sway others to our view politically. He argues that disagreement over these concepts will only lead to oblivion. He asks us, why not be grateful for the everyday. The planet will be saved if we simply cooperate. Misty navigates through these themes among others, asking about his role as well.
Beyond the concepts, the music is of the same caliber as before. When this man makes music, he breathes his soul into the sound and his heart into the music. Taking on a folk-rock and indie-rock vibe, he performs to makes you disappear into each song. The twist is, the singles released lack the satire or sarcasm usually present in his work. His critical view of us will leave an eerie feeling due to its accuracy. As he says in Pure Comedy, “The only thing that seems to make them feel alive is the struggle to survive.”
In Two Wildly Different perspectives, it’s that “everyone ends up with less, on both sides.”
Finally, we’re reminded that “We’ll all be wrong someday,” in Ballad of the Dying Man. This album is sure to be regarded as one of the best in 2017 after it’s release on April 7th. I’ll be tuning in, and I hope you are too.
The Greenhorn Press 