Joshua Tillman is in an enviable position right now, despite recently quitting one of the most successful indie-folk groups of recent memory. As drummer for Fleet Foxes, and as an integral voice in their unique group-harmony arrangements, he proved himself a talented and valuable multi-tasker. It appears he wasn’t satisfied there. He claims to have bid adieu to his fellow bearded Seattle cabin-dwellers after a moment of clarity. The group’s touring schedule, he decided, had become a distraction from endeavors closer to his heart — solo recordings of his own songs, which he’d been releasing regularly (as J. Tillman) since 2004. Several months later and he’s signed to Sub Pop on the strength of some solid, if undistinguished, previous solo material and, certainly, his Fleet Foxes notoriety. All eyes are on Tillman. Could this new record justify his ambitious career decision?
With new moniker Father John Misty, and — crucially — a new home base in Los Angeles, Tillman has risen to the occasion in a big way. With Fear Fun, he’s delivered a masterful west coast folk-rock album that’s graced with a familiar, down-home ambiance and thrilling stylistic variety. Second single “Nancy From Now On,” in keeping with much of the record, is a pleasingly wry meditation on guilt, betrayal, and merriment in Southern California. It’s also an anomaly on an album full of them. Where many of the songs display a more rugged and ramshackle sensibility, this track is all glossy remove, gliding along in a smooth, lazy shuffle. Tillman’s vocals, though, are pleading and direct. The strength of his performance and the beautiful, fully realized melody keep the aloofness in check and prevent the track from veering into yacht-rock territory. It’s an approach clearly rooted in ’70s luminaries like Harry Nilsson and Crosby Stills & Nash. It’s an old and enduring sound that, like his former bandmates, Josh Tillman has somehow made fresh again.