Yeah I finally got around to streaming it tonight after it topping all my most trusted AoTY lists! Pretty special. I’ll pick it up in the next week or so!
I am not big into pop albums but I purchased this one after the first listen. I, like you, loved "Video Games" and I have enjoyed some of her past single but this record is brilliant. I get kind of a Nationals vibe but obviously with female-centric vox and lyrics. I read in an interview recently that she stated she would love to do a duet with Matt Berninger, I fully support this idea.
Though I will say, I am a bit surprised that you are as open to her music due to her "persona" based your expressed abject hatred for Father John Misty who, in a lot of ways; is kind of her male equivalent.
I think she grabbed me musically with the singles off the first album and that granted me. I kinda went off her a bit after he repetition of the following albums but this one is hard to deny.
And I dunno there is something about his stage persona that I find objectionable without being quite able to fully put a finger on it, it pollutes the music for me even thought I admit it should stylistically be right up my alley. I don’t get that with her and I can’t explain why