Father John Misty – Screamland Review

For those expecting another route through the string-led joys and subtle indifference of a heartbreak, think again. Father John Misty evolves once more and with this next iteration of his sound comes a shock noise rock which becomes a blistering, fresh understanding of his wordplay. Screamland is a moment of familiarity shaken by the waves of a new and violent noise. Such is the upending of what we know. Father John Misty does well to turn expectations around and does so with such defiance it is hard not to fall in love with it from a first listen. Screamland is a staggering single. Forget the context of the album or its other singles, this is a defining moment for Father John Misty. Every moment feels like a farewell to the brand Josh Tillman has created, but why depart from something so fluid and lush? It may sound like a send-off, but that does not make Screamland, or the upcoming album Mahashmashana a farewell. 

And yet Screamland has all the emotional complexity, the deep layers of doubt, regret and hope for a reunion, that a send-off does. Do not mistake the guitar work for anything but the experienced fine-tuning of Alan Sparhawk from Low. His additions here amid the string sections and the gutsy instrumental collection is a standout moment for Screamland. Father John Misty has often provided artists of a massive presence, like Lana Del Rey or Beyoncé, a place to perform with a different edge to their sound. Tillman continues to use this project as a chance to explore, and why stop exploring when he has merely scratched the surface after a decade of work? Screamland has a blistering brilliance to it found in the electronic sections, the numb moments which cannot help but be its most passionate part. 

Optimism in the face of anything but this positivity is hard to hold onto. And yet the protagonist of this song does. Worn down by reality and gut-punched time and again, the hold onto our beliefs is all we have, and in this realisation comes a truly passionate observation from Father John Misty. Screamland is a courageous song because it keeps the candle of hope burning in times of global strife. When has there been a moment of peace in the last eighty years, to be fair? Harder it may be to feel the warmth of optimism we must hold on, and as Screamland is so frequent to showcase to listeners, there are small moments, little flutters of love, to continue this march into the storm with. Father John Misty has often created this tender and flourishing intimacy with hyper-specific lyrics, and here it works tremendously.  

This desire to continue dreaming and focusing on the self, to be defiant in the face of what makes for a defeat, is powerful. Mahashmashana grows with its singles and the indications of this burial place, where dreams and hope go to die, is a positive. We can grip tightly to the optimism of this song; the instrumental flavour Father John Misty provides Screamland is frankly stunning. Some of his best work. How he uses the volatile and noisy production to explore the breaches of peace in our lives is tremendous. Bold presentations once more from Tillman. In this expectation, we lose the surprise. And yet the consistent changes to his form or sound are what keeps him thriving, and Screamland brings out one of his best-ever offerings.