Say what you will about her, but you can’t deny that Chlöe is one of the brightest talents currently on the music scene. The singer-songwriter, who made her first solo splash with her debut In Pieces earlier this year, has been earning her dues on the stage while on her In Pieces Tour, which began its second leg recently. The performer also found some time in her busy schedule to stop by NPR Music’s famous Tiny Desk Concert series to perform revamped versions of tracks from In Pieces.
She begins the festivities with a slightly jazzier version of her slinky slow jam “Surprise.” The addition of muted trumpets and more complicated rhythms allow her to flex her vocals with riffs, runs and notes that took her voice to new highs. That inspired take led to another, with a take on “Body Do” that starts off more akin to Latin jazz than the body-popping bass of the original. She doesn’t leave that part of the song on the floor, though, with bass and drums taking the focus for the majority of the performance before she goes back to Latin jazz to close the song out.
“I Don’t Mind” and its Spanish guitar-led melody arrive next. This is the song perhaps closest to its album version, although she still makes sure to flex those magical vocals. “Worried” follows, with the song’s programmed sound warmed up with the band’s live instrumentation (this is especially true with the added trumpets). She then dives into the heart of the album with a performance of the title track “In Pieces.”
The originally piano-driven track gets a fuller arrangement, bringing out some of the song’s not-so-obvious musical influences, including a bit of older soul and even country. She closes the set with a performance of “Cheatback.” She keeps the acoustic feel of the original while serving up a bit of extra sass to get her point across to the person to whom the song is dedicated.
Chlöe once again proves that she's got the chops to hang with the best of them and the talent to lead us into the future. Prepare to be awed when you watch her Tiny Desk performance below.
