Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer (Sub Pop, 2018)

Almost everything Josh Tillman says or does annoys me, and after being beaten over the head with it so many times I finally gave in and listened to Pure Comedy last year, and it wasn't that bad. There were some good tunes, good lyrics, good ideas on it even though overall it's Not Really My Thing. I can't take Tillman's irony-bathed in honesty-bathed in irony shtick and even the "Funny Lyrics" that most Serious Rock Journalists jack themselves off into a frenzy over (omg he made a Taylor Swift joke!!!) make me want to roll my eyes into the back of my head. But the man can sing, and play guitar, and turn a phrase and write a good song or two so here we are with God's Favorite Customer - I don't know if it's the New FJM Album or just an in-between. Compared to the sprawling Pure Comedy it feels very lite indeed - under 40 minutes and the longest song clocking in at a tidy 5:22. But honestly this did less for me than Pure Comedy. If it's not lite it feels like - a little half-baked, well produced but no grand ideas that couldn't have stayed in the hopper until Tillman came up with a few better songs and made this a bigger statement. My other thing is, when do people listen to Father John Misty albums? What moods do you have to be in to put one of these on? Some kind of sardonic, half-hip, drinking a coffee and browsing the internet kind of mood? Who am I to talk I'll listen to an album of radiator hum. I'm doubling down this year on self-important jerks and grabbing the new Mark Kozelek - I've never heard a note of his music or anything from Sun Kil Moon beyond the name but at least my man Mark has the courage to be insipid and self-absorbed without the crutch of irony like the Good Father. I hope I love/hate it.

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Nachtmystium/Leviathan - In the Valley of Death, Where Black Metal is King: An Homage to the Roots (Ascension Monuments Media, 2018)

What the fuck is that title. Okay I get the first part is a Judas Iscariot tribute, but did we really need "an homage to the roots" in there? Hey wouldn't it be funny if these were actually covers of the band The Roots? Anyway. This album was supposed to come out 10 years ago, but it was blocked by the bands' respective labels. Now I guess they've figured out a way, or Blake Judd needs money for drugs so he's figured out a way, to put this out. The Bandcamp version has 8 tracks, 5 from Nachtmystium and 3 from Leviathan, but I've seen a 10-track tracklisting elsewhere. On the version I have, we have Nachtmystium covering Judas Iscariot, Ildjarn (twice), Von and Burzum. Leviathan tackles Ildjarn (twice) and Von once. I seem to be missing Leviathan's Judas Iscariot cover ("Where the Winter Beats Incessant") and one of Nachtmystium's Von covers ("Von"). Weird. Wonder if there were some licensing issues or something. All four Ildjar...

Isserley - Cutest Girls Suicide Cult (Tigersquawk, 2018)

Again - no real recollection of how this one ended up in my wishlist. I keep tabs on some witchhouse stuff and I guess I heard of Isserley somewhere...then again maybe it's the rad album title and kool art that pulled me in. Isserley is the "self proclaimed saddest girl in Australia" and these are kind of witchy beats, although more distorted and noise-y than is typical...of which I approve...but overall the album (it's more like an EP) didn't do much for me. Apparently a lot of these trax are culled from previous Isserley projects and given makeovers. Good to know! But not my bag.

Corrupted - Felicific Algorithim (Cold Spring, 2018)

For whatever it means, this is the beginning of Corrupted's "Hollow" series. Maybe the clue is in the music? Unlike Corrupted's traditional ultra-slowed down, Spanish-sung, Japanese doom metal this is instrumental harsh noise. Still filthy and angry and depressive but sans vox and also more or less sans metal. Both untitled sides are meant to be played at either speed. The result? Meh. I miss Corrupted's brand of doom, this relatively anonymous harsh noise is fine and all but if I'm listening to Corrupted...well I know what I want. Skippable.

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