Though I Love You, Honeybear wears its humorous lyrics and playful arrangements like a colourful veneer, it is a highly confessional album, full of self-loathing, narcissism and contradiction. In the press release for the album, singer-songwriter and former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman explained the concept behind his sophomore release as being “about a guy named Josh Tillman who spends quite a bit of time banging his head against walls, cultivating weak ties with strangers and generally avoiding intimacy at all costs.” With a description which could probably be preceded by #whitepeopleproblems, his self-confessional approach is repeatedly clouded by a holier-than-thou treatment of the subject matter.
It is undeniable that Tillman is a hugely talented (albeit sarcastic) songwriter, but I Love You, Honeybear ultimately reveals itself as totally pretentious, misogynistic and insincere.
Trial Track: “Bored in the U.S.A.”
Rating: 5/10
