Description
Lushly orchestrated and sweetly melodic, Chloë sees Father John Misty combine his Honeybear-era sound with elements of 1920s-30s jazz and traditional pop to make something that sounds both familiar and fresh.
It’s an intriguing approach, perhaps intended to suggest that, for all his very 21st century topics – Tillman’s songwriting is portable, capable of transcending its era. If that is the case, then the album makes a hugely convincing argument. Its tracks are more than knowing facsimiles of vintage styles because they’re uniformly melodically stunning – listen to the chorus of We Could Be Strangers, or the close-miked sigh of Kiss Me (I Loved You). Tillman’s voice sounds fantastic throughout: restrained and bruised.
Tillman’s most recent full-length effort as Father John Misty was the 2018 album ‘God’s Favourite Customer’. In a four-star review, NME’s Robin Murray said: “It’s a record riddled with questions, while refusing to offer answers. In remaining tight-lipped, this taciturn new aspect to Father John Misty might be his most genuinely sincere, and his most profound.” 2020 came with a surprise live album, ‘Off-Key In Hamburg’, which NME also gave a four-star review. All proceeds from that release were donated to MusiCares’ COVID-19 relief fund.
