Father John Misty

Pure Comedy

Bella Union

FOR the uninitiated, Father John Misty is Los Angeles-based ex-Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman, and over the course of two previous solo albums – 2012's Fear Fun and 2015's I Love You, Honeybear – he has served up dense, literate, acid-tongued portions of song in the beguilingly simple and radio-friendly style of a Randy Newman.

“Bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift” is a fairly typical opening line, and it certainly grabs the attention on Total Entertainment Forever, the second track on an album whose roster of stellar contributors includes British composer Gavin Bryars (providing string, horn and choral arrangements), American composer and arranger Nico Muhly and pianist/producer Thomas Bartlett.

These three add richness and texture to the basic piano, drums and guitar format. But it's Tillman's narrative flow which drags you into Pure Comedy and keeps you tethered there as he runs through cheerfully apocalyptic visions of environmental catastrophe (Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution), cheerfully apocalyptic visions of a vengeful God visiting his troublesome creations (When the God of Love Returns There'll Be Hell to Pay) and, well, you get the drift. A darker album than its predecessor, which commemorated his recent marriage with songs like When You're Smiling and Astride Me, and all the better for it.

BARRY DIDCOCK