Mahashmashana is the upcoming sixth studio album by American musician Josh Tillman under the stage name Father John Misty, to be released through Sub Pop and Bella Union on November 22, 2024. The album was produced in Los Angeles by Tillman and Drew Erickson with frequent collaborator Jonathan Wilson acting as executive producer. The album artwork was designed by artist Joe Roberts. Its title refers to the Sanskrit word Mahāśmaśāna (महाश्मशान), meaning "great cremation ground". The album is being promoted by the singles "I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All", "She Cleans Up", "Screamland" and "Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose".[1] The first single was originally included on Tillman's greatest hits album, Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl (2024). The second single, "Screamland", featuring Alan Sparhawk on guitar, was released on September 17, 2024.[2]
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| Released | November 22, 2024 | |||
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| Length | 50:21 | |||
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Title
editThe title refers to the Sanskrit word Mahāśmaśāna (महाश्मशान), meaning "great cremation ground". Tillman chose the word after reading it in Bruce Wagner's 2006 novel Memorial and feeling inspired by it, "Just visually, it has all these sha-na-nas and ha-ha-has in it. With the record, there’s a lot in there about the self and about identity, and I think just the micro and the macro scale of endings."[3]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [4] |
| Record Collector | [5] |
| Uncut | 8/10[6] |
Tom Doyle of Mojo said that by the end of the album the listener leaves Misty "with another great, mind-bending, soul-baring, melodically rich album to his name: a singer tap dancing on the very edge".[4] Peter Watts of Uncut praised his vocal performance, "Tillman is an outstanding vocalist, a master of phrasing and inflection, noting the songs "Mahashmashana", "She Cleans Up", "Mental Health" and closing track "Summer’s Gone", as examples. Watts also pointed out that Tillman's skill as a musician "gets overshadowed by his lyrical brilliance".[6] For Record Collector Kevin Harley said that on the album, Tillman "addresses mortality with wickedly expansive style", and described Mahashmashana as "seductively fertile" and "lyrically frisky".[5]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Josh Tillman.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mahashmashana" | J. Tillman | 9:19 |
| 2. | "She Cleans Up" | 4:26 | |
| 3. | "Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose" | J. Tillman | 5:12 |
| 4. | "Mental Health" |
| 6:28 |
| 5. | "Screamland" | J. Tillman | 6:51 |
| 6. | "Being You" |
| 5:13 |
| 7. | "I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All" | J. Tillman | 8:35 |
| 8. | "Summer's Gone" |
| 4:17 |
| Total length: | 50:21 | ||
Personnel
editCredits adapted from press release.[7][8]
- Josh Tillman – vocals, performance
- Alan Sparhawk – guitar (track 5)
- Drew Erickson – performance
- Jonathan Wilson – performance
- Dan Bailey – performance
- Eli Thomson – performance
- David Vandervelde – performance
- Chris Dixie Darley – performance
- Jon Titterington – performance
- Kyle Flynn – performance
- Josh Tillman – production
- Drew Erickson – production, arrangement
- Jonathan Wilson – executive producer
- BJ Burton – additional production, mixing (tracks 3, 5)
- Michael Harris – engineering, additional production
- Joe Roberts – design
References
edit- ^ Breihan, Tom (September 17, 2024). "Father John Misty Announces New Album Mahashmashana". Stereogum. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (September 17, 2024). "Father John Misty Previews New Album With Searing 7-Minute 'Screamland'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ Doyle, Tom (January 2025). "Father John Misty speaks to Tom Doyle". Mojo. No. 374. London. p. 82.
- ^ a b Doyle, Tom (January 2025). "Father John Misty – Mahashmashana". Mojo. No. 374. London. p. 80.
- ^ a b Harley, Kevin (December 2024). "Father John Misty – Mahashmashana". Record Collector. No. 564. London. p. 106.
- ^ a b Watts, Peter (December 2024). "Father John Misty – Mahashmashana". Uncut. No. 333. London. p. 24-25.
- ^ Gobeli, Abbie (September 17, 2024). "Father John Misty's Mahashmashana Available Friday, November 22nd". Sub Pop. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Father John Misty - Mahashmashana". Sub Pop. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.