Two new singles emerged Tuesday from the ambiguous and satirical Joshua Tillman, who performs under the moniker Father John Misty. The indie-folk musician returned to the alternative scene two months after the folk-pop track “Mr. Tillman” was made public. He announced the release of his new album, “God’s Favorite Customer,” the follow-up to his 2017 Grammy winner “Pure Comedy.”
The prior Fleet Fox and current Sub Pop Records signee released tracks entitled “Just Dumb Enough to Try” and “Disappointing Diamonds are the Rarest of Them All” to Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud and Amazon Music.
The former track sounds like an ode to the seventies singer-songwriter era, with Elton John-esque piano chords, seemingly distant intricate fingerpicking and introspective lyrics regarding a perplexing relationship. The latter features Tillman’s soaring falsetto, a dive into jazz-inspired soul with saxophone solos and quintessential Father John Misty cynicism in lyrics about giving up on the idea of love.
Tillman inadvertently released the entire album more than a month early to Apple Music, an error he later corrected by removing the album from the streaming service. Now, only the two previously stated singles remain on Apple Music.
Eager to poke fun at the situation, Tillman changed his Facebook profile picture to a meme with the album’s cover photo and the caption: “When your album leaks a month early.” Some fans ripped the album in the brief moments it was available, but the general public will gain access June 1 via Bella Union and Sub Pop.
The fourth Father John Misty album follows his 2012 critically-acclaimed debut “Fear Fun,” the 2015 politically-conscious release “I Love You, Honeybear” and 2017 Grammy winner of Best Recording Package “Pure Comedy.”
Father John Misty will perform at many European festivals following his new releases, most notably BBC Music Biggest Weekend in Belfast, England; Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain; and This is Not a Love Song in Nimes, France.
Tillman will also tour North American festivals such as Panorama in New York City, Outside Lands in San Francisco and Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle.
The soulful new album, “God’s Favorite Customer,” is out June 1, 2018.
