Father John Misty has announced Chloë and the Next 20th Century, his first studio album in four years, which will be out April 8 via Sub Pop in North America and Bella Union in the UK. The album was recorded from August - December of 2020, and he made it with producer and frequent collaborator Jonathan Wilson. It features orchestral arrangements by Drew Erickson.
You can get a taste of those orchestral arrangements with the album's first single, "Funny Girl," which is out now and you might confuse with something from the '30s or '40s if there weren't lines like "You knocked me out when you charmed the pants off Letterman / Oh I wish you’d flash that manic smile in my direction."
Adding to that surreal vintage vibe is the song's rather spectacular video which was directed by Nicholas Ashe Bateman, who made his feature debut with The Wanting Mare and most recently did the visual effects for last year's The Green Knight. Evoking The Wizard of Oz, the video stars a lost jellyfish floating through a tornado-strewn American heartland. Watch that below.
There are a few different editions Chloë and the Next 20th Century available, including the 2xLP gatefold Loser Edition pressed on clear blue vinyl, and a 2xLP box set that comes with exclusive, expanded artwork as part of a hardcover book containing both LPs pressed on clear red vinyl, as well as a poster by Rafa Orrico and two bonus 7” singles featuring covers of Chloë and the Next 20th Century songs by Lana Del Rey (“Buddy’s Rendezvous”) and Jack Cruz (“Kiss Me (I Loved You)”).
Father John Misty will celebrate the album with special shows where he'll be accompanied by an orchestra: Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 25 with the LA Phil, and London's The Barbican on April 7 with Britten Sinfonia conducted by Jules Buckley. Tickets for both those shows go on sale Friday, January 7 at 10 AM local time.
Tracklisting:
1. Chloë
2. Goodbye Mr. Blue
3. Kiss Me (I Loved You)
4. (Everything But) Her Love
5. Buddy’s Rendezvous
6. Q4
7. Olvidado (Otro Momento)
8. Funny Girl
9. Only a Fool
10. We Could Be Strangers
11. The Next 20th Century