Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) released his sixth album under that moniker in 2024.  Its title, Mahāśmaśāna, is a Sanskrit word meaning “great cremation ground,” perfect subject matter for a pop album!  Catch the sarcasm?

The lead track, and title song, is a 9-minute epic, both musically and lyrically – drawing comparisons to George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass.”

A rolling drum intro introduces sweeping strings, keyboards, and strings.  By the 7:30 mark, a saxophone joins the wall of sound, along with screeching strings, that bring the song to a soaring climax.

FJM’s vision is bleak — he imagines a post-apocalyptic world left with no trace of life.

Mahashmashana, all is silent now
And in the next universal dawn
Won’t have to do the corpse dance, do the corpse dance
Do the corpse dance with these on

However, in an interview with Scott Simon of NPR, FJM offered a different perspective on the song. “Well, that ‘Mahāśmaśāna’ song I really think of as being a love story. But this corporal form, you know, it just – the body wins every time. And love is kind of the foot soldier of that destruction – sounds like a hit.”

The album has received critical praise, placing 49th on Paste’s list of the 100 Best Albums of 2024.

Enjoy… until next week.