Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

For many, young adulthood is a time of great emotional polarity. Young adults come out of their youth with their guns blazing, ready to take on the world. They often realize later, however, that the world doesn't exactly welcome everyone with a gleaming smile and a warm hug. Loneliness is more common among emerging adults than any other age group in America, and the "disenfranchised youth" are an actual demographic talked about by sociologists. While actively being alienated by society, however, these young men and women are also hitting on many important milestones: first house, first real career--and first true love. "I Love You, Honeybear" gives this combo of cynicism and passion life in just under 45 minutes. Hidden within its sarcastic and surprisingly humorous lyrics are references to the dilemmas of young adulthood.

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"Honeybear" is former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman's sophomore release under the stage name Father John Misty. Despite being a former member of the popular folk band, Tillman writes music that is uniquely his. His sound bears only a passing resemblance to the Celtic-sounding folk ballads of his previous group. Father John Misty is much more keen on embracing psychedelia and odd instrumentation, and seems to match up with Tillman's mystifying persona. Also, while most of today's indie folk music tells tales of fairies and magic, "Honeybear" is filled with many explicit references to contemporary problems facing young adults. The track "True Affection" is a great example of this--over electronic textures, Tillman wails about how texting women is no substitute for physically meeting them. Also, in "Bored In The USA", he laments the state of the economy and society that he and his fellow 80s kids have been thrust into recently. In this track, he unconventionally employs the use of a laugh track, likening himself to a cynical stand-up comedian. When looking closer at his lyrics, one finds out that this comparison is not very far from the truth. On "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.", Tillman complains about a one-night stand that he isn't very in to. His exact words are: "She says, like, literally, music is the air she breathes". The girls that Tillman associates with are often vapid, and they lack the depth and profundity that he so desires.

Contextually, this album was released soon after Josh Tillman got married to his fiancee, photographer Emma Elizabeth. After "The Night", "Honeybear" takes a turn for the optimistic. In the lyrics, Tillman turns down aggressive women at bars, telling them about the absolutely gorgeous woman that he is taken by. Also, in the very same song, he threatens any man that hits on his wife at said bar. This slow road to optimism leads to the powerfully titled "Holy Shit"--a song that was written on Tillman's wedding day. Although he doesn't use the prettiest language, and sometimes even seems a bit crass in his descriptions, you can't help but feel the passion and excitement that Tillman obviously had for his beloved. This upswing then culminates with a track called "I Went To The Store One Day"--a track that tells the story of the day he met his wife. The song ends with the lyric "Seen you around; what's your name" which, supposedly, are the first words that he said to his wife-to-be. In the end, "Honeybear" becomes a fantastic look into the experience of a young adult in American society, including the disillusioned but never-ending lust for life that young adults possess. Despite its eclectic musicality and dreamy sound, "Honeybear" is a very sensible and down-to-earth record.

SCORE: 4.5/5

HIGHLIGHT: I Went To The Store One Day