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Description
Father John Misty's *Mahashmashana* arrives as the sixth studio offering from Josh Tillman, a sprawling meditation on mortality recorded in late 2023 across several Los Angeles studios-Five Star, East/West, United Recording, and the intimate confines of Drew Erickson's home. The album's title, drawn from the Sanskrit *Mahāśmaśāna* ("great cremation ground"), signals Tillman's recurring preoccupation with endings, identity, and the passage of time. While his lyrics continue to perform the double role of philosopher and jester, this record represents a notable shift: it's the first album to feature the full, active participation of Tillman's longtime backing band, from drummers Dan Bailey and bassist Eli Thomson to guitarists Chris Dixie Darley and David Vandervelde.
Genre-wise, the record wanders through art pop, art rock, disco, and orchestral pop territory with a confidence that borders on complacency. Executive producer Jonathan Wilson helmed additional mixing duties, while Tillman and Erickson engineered the whole affair-a collaboration that, if nothing else, underscores how much of Tillman's earlier DIY mythology was quietly giving way to polished, professional machinery. The inclusion of a full choir, a Nona Quartet string section, and guest appearances from Sleater-Kinney's Alan Sparhawk on "Screamland" demonstrates that the album is not just a retrospective glance but an ambitious new statement.
Critics have treated the record with what might charitably be called reverence-Metacritic scores it 86, Pitchfork Best New Music, and reviews cite it as Tillman's most sincere, assured work to date. The opening track, the nine-minute "Mahashmashana," functions as a suitably grand opener, its slow-building arrangement setting the stage for an album that feels both like a farewell and a resurrection. For collectors, *Mahashmashana* offers a sonic texture that's as much about process as product: the first full-band JFM effort, the end of an era, and the beginning of a new chapter. It's a record to keep close to your heart, or perhaps burn it at the end of the world.
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*Mahashmashana* - Father John Misty (2024)
**Genre:** Art pop, art rock, disco, orchestral pop
**Release date:** November 22, 2024
**Label:** Bella Union, Sub Pop, Bella Union
**Producers:** Josh Tillman, Jonathan Wilson (exec.)
**Recorded:** 2023, Los Angeles (Five Star, East/West, United Recording, Drew Erickson's house)
**Key collaborators:** Alan Sparhawk, Drew Erickson, Jonathan Wilson, Nona Quartet
**Notable:** First FJM album with full backing band participation; Metacritic 86; Pitchfork Best New Music
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