The Fashionably Late Top 66 of 2017: Father John Misty

It’s been a hell of a year. 2017 was exhausting, stressful, and at times just plain terrifying. But for all the mess that’s happened over the past 12 months, and there’s certainly been so much, there’s also been a lot of good going on in the world. From a musical standpoint, for instance, 2017 was rather exceptional. There were so many glorious new sounds to take in.

I’ve put together my list of favorites from the year that was, a touch fashionably late as always. Once again, I’ve decided to eschew a ranking system and instead give you an alphabetical look at the records I fell for this year. There’s some names here that will come as no surprise to anyone, and perhaps a few that might surprise you. These are simply my favorites from 2017, the albums I went back to again and again, the albums that I swooned over. So, without further exposition, here’s my list. I think you’ll find you can get your kicks from any and all of the 66 records I’ve chosen, and I truly hope you’ll find some treasures to cherish, as I cherish each and every record here. Many, many thanks to the artists who put out this fantastic music, their sounds helped make 2017 bearable.

Who: Father John Misty

What: Pure Comedy

When: April 2017

Where: Sub Pop

Why: Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Pure Comedy is a record full of Josh Tillman's musings counting the ways modern life is rubbish. Tillman's social commentary is wryness wrapped in the exceptional, the details are fine but the sounds are so very big. "How's this for irony," Tillman muses in the album's title track, a hint of deadpan in his voice as he lets loose on the absurdity of it all. The world may be going to hell in a handbasket, but at least Father John Misty makes it a much less bitter pill to swallow.

[posted 1.30.18]