Can Father John Misty live up to hype on new album?

Father John Misty Band PhotoOne of the most anticipated albums of this young year, Father John Misty’s sophomore release, is out Tuesday.

Can it possibly live up to the hype? I think so. I Love You, Honeybear certainly doesn’t sound like the title of an album full of gut-wrenching, angst-filled, first-person stories but then Misty (J. Tillman) is full of surprises.

Honeybear follows Tillman’s excellent 2012 debut Fear Fun. Like that album, he tells his stories through lyrics full of vivid imagery that are often not pretty at all.

Tillman has been playing the title track of his new album for at least a couple of years.