Pure and intimate heartache
Josh Tillman might have hit a rock bottom of sorts through his alter-ego, Father John Misty. His most recent endeavor is proving to be his most, well, difficult. After his intense self-search in Pure Comedy and his new found love in I Love You, Honeybear, Tillman loses both in the process and tries to come to terms with the cruel world suffocating him in God’s Favorite Customer. The surprisingly short album compared to Pure Comedy becomes even more surprising when not an ounce of sarcastic comedic relief is heard in any lyric. His trademark sense of humor is lost in his desperation to feel a sense of happiness again.
God’s Favorite Customer is a direct line to Tillman’s heart and creates a seamless narrative throughout the tracks. “Just Dumb Enough to Try” and “Please Don’t Die” are pure examples of the love that still lingers in Tillman’s heart while he is weary and even scared of it. We see the slightest bit of the humor we are used to hearing in “Mr. Tillman” and “The Palace” where he says, “Maybe I’ll get a pet, learn how to take care of somebody else / Maybe I’ll name him Jeff.” The most impressive part of God’s Favorite Customer is Tillman’s ability to be vulnerable to the whole world. In “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All,” Tillman dives into his most honest lyrics, “Does everybody have to be the greatest story ever told?” Each track is as individualistic and diverse as the next, each backed by haunting vocals, thrilling guitar and a bone-chilling reminder that most of us have felt his pain before.
Tillman created Father John Misty as an alter-ego of sorts to connect his listeners to someone they could relate to. Although Father John Misty is the one telling the tale of God’s Favorite Character, Tillman is showing more of himself than ever before. The singer’s fourth studio album comes at the peak of his life’s story. At just 37 years old, Tillman is creating music that will lend a hand to those going through hard times and stand the test of time.
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