Father John Misty — Chloë and the Next 20th Century — Album Review
Alternative | Chamber Pop
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
While my previous experiences with the musical project of American singer-songwriter Joshua Tillman, known as Father John Misty, has been little more than dabbling into little bits and pieces of his previous works, one thing that has been easy to notice is just how positive the reception towards his previous albums.
John Misty definitely sticks out like a sore thumb amongst his contemporaries, primarily thanks to the very retro-sounding indie-folk aesthetic that he is most well-known for. On top of this, he manages to add an element to his music, that allows it to be linked more closely to classic late 20th century ballads, than to most of the music one can find in the modern day. That being said, the title of his newest album feels very apt.
I went into the musical year of 2022 with (obviously) a very open mind. It was the perfect time then, for Father John Misty to release his first teaser track to eventually lead up to the point of Chloë and the Next 20th Century in its entirety. Titled “Funny Girl”, this was admittedly the only of the four teaser tracks released that I actually listened to. However, I feel that it was a good way to enjoy the remainder of the album as a fresh experience.
But back to what the aforementioned teaser track brought. “Funny Girl” presents a refreshing departure from John Misty’s indie-folk roots. The artist’s creative decision was to go even further back in time, and bring back a classical jazz type of style (something you expect more from the likes of somebody like Frank Sinatra, than Father John Misty).
This felt like a very exciting and unique change of pace for the artist, and myself as a listener. Thankfully, this aesthetic continued to spread across the vast majority of this new album. Granted, there are a few tracks sprinkled here and there, which fans can pick up on as more familiar sounding John Misty tracks. However, the focal point turns to this new classy aesthetic.
Furthermore, it goes hand-in-hand with Father John Misty’s knack for making brilliant ballads, which Chloë and the Next 20th Century certainly isn’t shy of. There was a narrative, seemingly focused on a singular titular character (that most likely being Chloë), which boost’s this album’s ballad-like appeal even further. It’s one of those very rare albums which could get away with having a multitude of mellow tracks, thanks to how engaging and atmospheric everything sounds.
With a runtime of just over 50 minutes, Chloë and the Next 20th Century feels like a generous musical experience as well. The albums feels so rich with both style and substance, that it reeks of the same kind of aura that made albums like Pure Comedy and God’s Favourite Customer such iconic albums within their respective musical years.
While there are a very rare few tracks that perhaps just felt a little too tedious for their own good in my opinion, Chloë and the Next 20th Century is certainly a brilliant musical experience, and an incredibly unique one of that.
Favourite Tracks: (Everything But) Her Love | Buddy’s Rendevous | Funny Girl
Least Favourite Track: We Could be Strangers
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