Father John Misty, “Mahashmashana.”

“After a decade being born, Josh Tillman is finally dying,” reads a tagline for Mahashmashana, the sixth album by Father John Misty.

It’s cryptic, but of course, singer-songwriter Josh Tillman is a unique and cryptic artist, and the album continues his experimental, overtly lyrical style of rock.

As with previous releases, the album doesn’t fit neatly into any specific genre. Tillman’s lyrics transcend traditional songwriting, while his sound has evolved from mellow pop into jazz (such as on 2022’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century) and rock fusion. Elements of electro-pop and dance are also present on Mahashmashana, fitting in nicely with his genre-bending discography. It’s as is Tillman welded together two incompatible metals to produce a work of art.

“Great cremation ground, all things going thither,” he sings on the title track, which hooks listeners and doesn’t let go. With a length over nine minutes, it’s anthemic, sounding like an orchestra colliding with an acoustic guitar and a saxophone. The psychedelic ending harkens back to 1970s prog rock.

“She Cleans Up” is the most contemporary pop-sounding track on the album. Its catchiness is not hindered by Tillman’s run-on lyricism and delivery, screechy sax or 1980s-pop-meets-heavy-2000s-rhythms. The ’80s influence is most apparent on the chorus, as Tillman enunciates like Phil Collins on Genesis’ “I Can’t Dance.”

Previously titled “No Shape” at Father John Misty’s 2023 concerts, “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Overdose” sounds like it was born and bred in the ’70s. Its melodic lyrical style is akin to Harry Nilsson, yet the chorus and co-producer Drew Erickson’s arrangement of strings and stacked vocals show how when a song sounds like one thing, Tillman takes it to another level. There’s irony and subterfuge in his lyrics, as it’s not clear whether he’s being vulnerable or thumbing his nose at the world around him.

Later in the album, “Being You” has a similar ’70s vibe. The bass drum and guitar lead the rhythm, giving it a slight funky vibe. Mixed unlike the other songs here, it sounds like it’s sung by Bread frontman David Gates.

“Mental Health” is a mellow piece featuring piano, strings and haunting backing vocals. Again, his lyrics make you wonder. “Your true self/ Oh they’d love if you could find it/ Makes you much less hard to predict/ One of these label’s bound to fit,” he sings. Is he poking fun at a topic that has grown in prominance or merely suggesting introspection versus waiting for the world to reflect back? Perhaps uncertainty is the point.

Single “Screamland” ironically starts off with Tillman delivering in a lower register that sounds more like spoken-word. With that it stands out on this album. It begins as a rock ballad before evolving into pop power chords. Here, Tillman’s lyrics seem most vulnerable: “Since I lied to you, I’m starting to feel/ Like how long can you love someone for the weakness they conceal/ Stay young/ Get numb/ Screamland.”

Clocking in at just shy of nine minutes, “I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All” starts with an instrumental hook that sounds like a riff on Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” before transitioning into a four-on-the-floor rhythm. At first glance, it’s a modern disco track. But the solid four-on-the-floor drumming is used as effectively as Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2” and the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You”, but injected with jazz fusion.

Tillman’s singing comes across like an homage to Bob Dylan’s “Things Have Changed” as sung by Leonard Cohen. It’s also the album’s strongest cut.

Melodic tune “Summer’s Gone” concludes Mahashmashana. Channeling Frank Sinatra, this piano-led track sounds like a Chloë and the Next 20th Century outtake,  continuing that album’s 1960s vibe.

At times, the album also sounds like Father John Misty’s 2012 debut, For Fun, but with the vocal maturity of 2017’s Pure Comedy. It carries the prog rock influences of 2018’s God’s Favorite Customer, infused with jazz elements only hinted at on previous albums. Erickson deserves credit for finding ways to make all this work.

Josh Tillman hasn’t sounded quite like this before. He may be busy dying, but Father John Misty is keeping him eternal.

Follow Talia M. Wilson at Twitter.com/olyfilmgirl.