Father John Misty, also known as Josh Tillman, has been teasing “Mahashmashana” for a while. Now that it’s finally here, I can confidently say that it’s everything the singles suggested it would be and more.
The intro song and title track, “Mahashmashana,” is an absolute beast, rounding out to over nine minutes, the longest song on the album. This song is a masterclass in composition with swelling strings, expressive drum fills and sweet piano keys. In the final minutes of this song, Tillman’s singing takes a back seat, allowing the instrumental to bloom into something truly magnificent. Every instrument grows and continues to mesh, while simultaneously adding new components into the mix, such as a wailing saxophone that owns the show until the song’s final moments. This grand experience is so easy to get wrapped up in, to the point where you can completely forget about the seven other songs that follow it.
The fifth song, “Screamland,” might be my favorite song on the album. It opens with Tillman delicately singing over some soft piano chords. As the song progresses, the instrumental grows, layering in subdued drums and dreamy strings. When the chorus hits, the drums become crisp while every other part of the instrumental becomes distorted and hazy, akin to a wall of noise. It sounds like the song itself is breaking apart.
The seventh song, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” is unbelievably groovy. Jaunty piano chords, smooth saxophone and persistent percussion makes this a song that’s almost impossible to not tap your foot to. Lyrically, Tillman always packs a lot into his songs, and this is no exception. Throughout the seven verses, he touches on his own career, how pain and suffering give meaning to life and how time itself can literally make you a fool.
“Mahashmashana” feels like a turning point in Tillman’s career. Tillman himself even said that while “Mahashmashana” isn’t the end, it feels like a “last album” in spirit, and I couldn’t be more thankful that it isn’t actually the end. There’s no one doing what Father John Misty is doing.
