Overview | The Head And The Coronary heart and Father John Misty Carry Spectacular Vocal Chops to the Santa Barbara Bowl

It was a night stuffed with hearts on sleeves and tongues firmly in cheek. The Sunday evening double headliner invoice of The Head And The Coronary heart and Father John Misty on the Bowl showcased two fully completely different shades of spectacular vocal chops that might not have been extra at odds by way of fashion. 

Constructing on the momentum from their 2022 album Each Shade Of Blue — a pandemic-influenced, soul-searching, gem of a file — together with a robust displaying of followers from greater than a decade of touring, The Head And The Coronary heart gave an excellent tight, stable efficiency. They’re clearly again within the groove of dwell reveals, taking part in a assured set of hits outdated and new, with every of the singing band members — vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Russell, violinist/vocalist/guitarist Charity Rose Thielen, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Gervais — harmonizing superbly, but additionally having their very own time to shine within the highlight. 

I appreciated them final 12 months on the Bowl and this time round, realizing the music a lot better,  I form of cherished them. I’m notably keen on The Head And The Coronary heart’s harmonies in “Tiebreaker,” in addition to Thielen’s haunting vocal gymnastics in “Honeybee,” to not point out the now iconic “Rivers and Roads,” (circa 2010) with the gorgeous traces, “Nothin’ is because it has been / And I miss your face like hell / And I assume it’s simply as nicely / However I miss your face like hell.”

If The Head And The Coronary heart’s set was the epitome of “tight,” Father John Misty’s was the epitome of “free,” with an eccentric sonic palette that was entertaining, if not at all times simple to make sense of. 

Certain he’s identified for being sarcastically comedic, however was he being subversive by taking part in a great deal of the set in the dead of night, and messing round with the sound reverb to the purpose that I noticed a number of individuals masking their ears? Or have been the tech cues only a bit off, maybe the crew was exhausted after having performed Outdoors Lands earlier that weekend? I actually don’t know. However together with his wacky lyrics a giant a part of why he’s so beloved, it’s form of robust when you possibly can’t hear them.

However Father John Misty’s voice is inarguably lovely, his humor is oddball charming, and his lanky physicality is terribly enjoyable to look at as he’s usually half dancing, half drunkenly stopping simply in need of stumbling — when there’s sufficient gentle to see it. 

He’s a zany dude to make certain, and a part of his enchantment is that unpredictability — you don’t fairly know which means he’s going to go, form of like that man ranting on the road who really sounds form of poetic in the event you take heed to him lengthy sufficient — and you may hear him. 

I received echoes of Glen Campbell in “Goodbye Mr. Blue,” a tune he devoted to “all of the useless pets in god’s lovely world,” as he sang a couple of cat who had handed on with “one down, eight to go, but it surely’s no much less true.” And the “faux jazz” antics of “Chloë,” which has a jazzy Hollywood sound  in stark distinction to lyrics like “Of downtown artwork criticism / I profit greater than I ought to admit / From her unscrupulous therapist / How Benzedrine supposed to handle / Your shoplifting’s? anyone’s guess.” 

It’s pure poetry, proper. I’m unsure what else to make of it, however I’m fairly positive that half, at the very least, was intentional.