Estelle Clifford: Album - Mahashmashana by Father John Misty

From NME - “Contrasting with this recollection, there’s a peacefulness to ‘Mahashmashana’, the tone grounded even when its author veers into psych-rock (the pounding ‘She Cleans Up’) and strutting funk (‘I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All’). Half of its eight tracks spool on for more than six minutes and he’s not minded, these days, to explain them in interviews or on social media. Insteadhe’s bowed out from the spotlight to produce a record that tunes into love, ageing and the search for meaning without the compulsion for a punchline or wry aside.

As a result, the lush ‘Mahashmashana’ doesn’t quite mainline the zeitgeist in the same way that ‘Honeybear’ and ‘Pure Comedy’ did. Then again, there’s something to be said, in 2024, for logging off in favour of self-reflection. On the swooning ‘Mental Health’, Misty rejects the hive mind, concluding that his own particular “insanity” is “indispensable”. Whoever the folk he is underneath that beard, the good Father can’t help but share words of wisdom.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks at Bala.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
And do the copstay, do the Copsteins, do the Copstey swifts.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
This is Mahshma Mashana I did practice. This is the
new album and the single off the album by Father
John Misty. And joining me now to tell me all
about Father John Misty, who I'm quite liking, is a
Stelle Clifford Good Morning More.

Speaker 4 (01:05):
It's one of those words that you can almost say
better if you don't look at it.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Mash Mashana.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
Mash Mashana, I believe is Hindu for a great cremation pit.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Okay, that sets a scene and certainly does. And I look,
I really like this sound. I'm gonna be with you
a sale. I'm not hugely familiar with Father John Misty,
but I kind of there's a sort of a retro
sound to this sound, to this sort of.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
I think he's one of those artists who's been somewhere
where he did start off being sort of like slow
poppy in his very early years, but he's transitioned into
this kind of like indie rock pop sort of artist,
and this album here he's gone to a whole other
level because it's quite orchestral, you've got funk soul sometimes
and like so that's the starting song, which orchestral sweeps right,

(01:56):
and then straight after that you're into indie rock and
it's grunge guitar and you're like, wow, what is this guy?
But that's interesting thing about Father John Misty. He is
a guy who actually, for quite a few years he
was a drummer in a band called Fleet Fox's.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Oh yes, I know, Fleet Fox's okay falling into place.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
Now, Yeah, So here's their drummer for a couple of
albums in one massive tour. He'd done some solo stuff
before that under his own name, Josh Hillman, which didn't
really go too far for him, and then coming out
of touring with them, that was kind of like some
material was coming to him and he made this alter
ego of Father John Misty. He's someone who was brought
up in a very religious household. They weren't allowed to

(02:35):
listen to much modern music. And I guess some of
his albums have probably fallen into like, you know, talking
about what that is because actually some of his lyrics
are very tongue in cheek and you know, citing how
it was for his life growing up. So he's got
quite a big background and being a musician. He's also

(02:57):
one of those people who he produces his own stuff,
but he's also worked on albums for like Beyonce and
Lady Gaga, Kid Cuddy. I think he's done, so I'm
producing on those kind of albums, So I reckon. He's
like INDI's music version of Ryan Tedder from One Republic Gotcha.
He was very musically talented, and you can tell that
when he can then release an album like this where

(03:20):
his lyrics are very poetic. If you think John Lennon,
those kind of people, they write some really deep stuff
that you sometimes don't hear the first few times and
then you're like, oh, okay, I'm kind of going somewhere. Also,
why would you name your album after Cromation Pit. But
it's kind of like him saying I'm shedding off that

(03:42):
and moving into a new season. So there's a lot
of rumors around this album being possibly his final one
as father John Misty.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
It's interesting though, when you say, you know, things might
not strike you at first, but they are the albums
I love. I love when you when you take a
first part in an album and you go, oh, I'm
going to listen to this again and again because there
is so much there. There is so much theater absorber,
and that's going to keep me, you know, just yeah,
I love that feeling when you play an album for
the first time. I do too.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
And because he writes in that sort of poetic and
then slight storytellerway, you're like, wow, there's something really evolving here. Mahashmashana.
That song sounds like it should be, you know, like
a crescendo in a movie when something quite traumatic or
big has happened. And then you go into the electro
blues reverb on the mic, and the lyrics that go
with that are very think what did they say, Mary

(04:33):
Magdalene as kill Bill. So you're getting kind of my
idea of what you're listening to, and I think you're
right because you can stay with that album for a
long time. You don't bore of something like that when
there's like some really beautiful lyrics that have been put
together with then some incredible layering of really clever music
and musicianship and you know's and he's not someone who's

(04:56):
going to shy away from where he's been, that he
has dabbled in drugs, he's become a parent. Life is
supposed to be this, and he kind of shares all
of that. How are we supposed to cope in this
world that seems so focused on capitalism and greed? But
actually it becoming a dad, you suddenly go, hey, the
world is actually quite innocent through their eyes. So it's

(05:17):
an interesting thing to sort of put into a concept.
I guess he's on a lot of concept albums because
of that.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
You mentioned that sort of in the first couple of songs,
you're getting a quite different sort of genre. Does that
carry on throughout the album or does he sort of
settle into a bit of a style.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
I would say that it leans quite heavily towards the orchestral,
so there's a lot more of the strings and then
suddenly like big keys and things like that, But then
there'll be this one or two breakouts. But I would
say it's probably more orchestral than it is anything else,
which is why I think the song She Cleaned Up
really stands out, which you're going to share a little

(05:54):
bit of just so you can hear the opposing kind
of sounds. There's also a bit of like that jazz
funk sort of keys, like he's at some sort of
jazz bar and a trumpet, and so it's quite a
ride musically, and not in a bad way though, Like
I think, because he's so skilled at what he does,
it's actually a really enjoyable rite and it keeps you
kind of with him. It is quite nostalgic, so definitely

(06:15):
more of that seventies leaning kind of soul funk sort
of thing going on. But again I think because yeah,
I don't know, I actually quite like it. It keeps me
more interested than when it's just one genre perhaps, you know,
like absolutely no, yeah, yeah, but definitely more orchestral than
he's probably ever done in any of his albums before.

(06:35):
There's a lot of big arrangements, so that's obviously something
he's playing with at the moment, but it fits so
perfectly with his storytelling and what he's doing so that
those big, crazy breakout moments. Screamland is another one of
those songs. Again he's lulled you into these like ballads
and orchestral moments and then Screamland comes out and it's
exactly what you'd imagine a song called Screamland is.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
What do you rate it, Estelle, I'm giving.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
Out a nine out of ten. This is an album
you should definitely give some time and it will grow
on you and I think it might become one of
those faves.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
Estelle, think so much for your contribution to the show
throughout the year, for always introducing me to good new
music and giving me some look. I think this is
gonna be perfect as I drive around the Yes, thank
you very much, and Merry Christmas. We're going to play
as Estasis. We're going to play another track she cleans
up in just a moment. Six to twelve.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
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