Reviews
Family of the Year - Loma Vista July 8, 2015 17:01
"Loma Vista" (11 tracks; 39 min.) starts off with the rousing "The Stairs", followed by an even harder-charging "Diversity", one of my favorite tracks on here. Then comes the breezy "St. Croix" (from last year's EP), which is as smooth as silk. "Buried" sounds like the band singing on a beach around a bonfire (with fun lyrics like "Bury me with my guitar/bury me with my T-shirt/bury me with my Chucks", ha!). "Hero" is a pensive tune from Joe, mostly solo on acoustic guitar, a beautiful song. "Living on Love" (also from last year's EP) is a rare track that brings electric guitar to the forefront. "Hey Ma" is a piano-fronted slower song, sounding great. "In The End" is what I would call the "standard" FOTY sound: gorgeous, with lots of vocal harmonizing. The album closer "Find It" brings Joe on acoustic guitar by himself to start, before the rest of the band joins in for a rousing finale. Great way to finish things off!
In all, this is a most pleasing album! The album clips by in no time, covering 11 tracks in about 40 min., and you'll just find yourself playing this again and again. I had the good fortune of catching these guys live recently (opening for Walk the Moon) here in Cincinnati, and what a thrilling 45 min. set they brought, playing many tracks from this album. If you have a chance to see Family of the Year live, do not miss them! Meanwhile, "Loma Vista" is sure to end up in my "best of" albums of the year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear July 8, 2015 16:57
Father John Misty aka Josh Tillman, formerly of the Fleet Foxes, has a weight of expectation on this his second album under the pseudonym. With explicit lyrics, a tongue firmly placed in his cheek and quite a bit of baggage this albums is a delight and lives up to those expectations. Largely guitar and piano based this builds slowly throughout the eleven tracks to gives a melodic, sometimes awkward viewpoint of the protagonist. Sometimes it feels like every song is a counterpoint to something else. Bored in the USA is a slowed down answering call to the Bruce Springsteen Born in The USA anthem. It also includes the audio equivalent of the safety wink with canned laughter coming in during the denouement where he decries the modern state of America, The Night Josh Tillman... and When You're Smiling Astride Me sound like they are a companion set to the John Grant album Pale Green Ghosts. Ideal Husband picks the pace up and is delivered in such a bitter manner you can taste the lemons, its almost so self deprecating it hurts.
This is an album that grows with every listen. It may sound like its been influenced by others but it is as much of itself as anything else. Its truly dizzying to listen to at times. So early in the year we have a high water mark for albums and bitterness that may not be bettered over the next ten months.
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