The candor-filled fourth studio album by unabashed egotist Father John Misty runs decidedly less humorous than 37-year-old caricaturist Josh Tillman’s previous offerings. While still supremely self-important, he probes his emotions like a narcissist at the mirror. The difficulty/trick comes in wondering whether Tillman goes out of his way to trip himself up. “Just Dumb Enough to Try” and “Please Don’t Die” finds him profoundly vulnerable, self-sabotaging, and maintaining emotionally harmful relationships. “I’m feeling good, damn, I’m feeling fine,” he sings in “Mr. Tillman,” on which he appears to be either high, dissociative, or freely living a lie about his happiness. (6:45pm, Barton Springs stage)

***.5

This article appears in October 5 • 2018.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.