Released in 2015 I Love You, Honeybear is Father John Misty’s second album after Fear Fun. The former drummer of Fleet Foxes, Josh Tillman (J. Tillman) is titled Father John Misty as a third persona for this album which decodes the message of the complicated nature of love and madness.

Tillman began his music career once he moved to Seattle; recording at night after he got off work at a bakery. Eventually his album which was eventually called I Will Return reached the ears of singer Damien Jurado. Tillman then opened for Jurado a year after where he would distribute his album after the show. Tillman released two albums in 2009 after he signed contract with Western Vinyl. In 2008 he joined the folk rock band Fleet Foxes as the drummer. After Tillman left Fleet Foxes in 2012, many wondered what would happen to this incredible musician. Hard-core fans knew of his previous musical past as a singer and songwriter when he was signed with Western Vinyl, but many worried about his future.

Fans did not seem disappointed when on May 1st, 2012 Tillman released his album Fear Fun as his new title, Father John Misty. This album was completely different from all of what he had previously recorded. With the use of the new name, Father John Misty, Tillman seemed to have had given himself a clean slate to work with. Father John Misty allows Tillman to do what he does magnificently and to uncover his creativity through his lyrics and the powerful messages that go with them. In this record especially, Tillman seems to have come to a self-revelation of who he is. In the song “Everyman Needs a Companion” one line states, “I never liked the name Joshua. I got tired of J” (J is a nickname Tillman often uses) leaving us thinking what Father John Misty emotionally sings is the truth of how Tillman thinks.

However, I Love You, Honeybear hosts some of Tillman’s most popular songs. One of Father John Misty’s songs“Bored in the U.S.A” was performed on the David Letterman show in November of 2014. The song is an almost satirical piece based on the lyrics yet also the canned laugh track near the end of the song. “Bored in the U.S.A” often strikes people as “hipster whining” according to Macon Holt in his article “On ‘Bored in the U.S.A’ on Letterman on Youtube” based by his “prescription-length, hip beard, retro tight fitting clothing, and music sonically influenced by nostalgic Americana” because to an extent, it is. His performance on Letterman is just that- a performance. It begins with the camera directly on Tillman while he plays the piano. Yet, as the song continues, Tillman leaves the piano bench to reveal that the piano is a recording. Tillman proceeds by sitting on top of the piano like a lounge singer then onto his knees to sing, “save me white Jesus” as a request for salvation. Though a lot of the songs on I Love You Honeybear are satirical like “Bored in the U.S.A,” many of the songs give a conflicting feeling of humor mixed with sincerity yet they deal with love and madness.

Josh Tillman, or should we call him Father John Misty, is not like most artists, He takes his songs and performances to a much deeper level than most artists even attempt to create. He is an unknown and greatly underappreciated artist whose songs make you think, question, and analyze a simple three and a half minute song. Father John Misty gives genuine music lovers hope for a world that could contain deep and meaningful songs such as his rather than the hollow songs that are mass produced today.