Jenny Hval has been propelling herself increasingly well the past few years. She made the TMT top 50 list twice, maybe. Sean Brady had an amazing blurb on her track from last year in our songs list too. Personally, I’ve never been a “fan” of hers until hearing Apocalypse, girl straight through this morning, and found her video for “That Battle is Over” to cover in light of joy. I should’ve listened to ZP way back.
But lemme shed more upon this light of joy I’ve found in Jenny Hval’s album, focusing on her single “That Battle is Over.” First of all, “Merry Christmas” will be my new “hi!” at work. I’m big on “hi” and “Happy Birthday” so people leave me alone, but “Merry Christmas” goes in. Second off, I’m infatuated with “soft penis” in music. Any and all music, just pile on the words “soft penis” and my maturity level will be happily and healthily satiated, although this lyric isn’t deployed in “That Battle is Over” at all, but is pretty much the rest of Apocalypse, girl. Thirdly (again, something ZP tried to get on me about awhile back, but I was like “yayayayayayayayaya” and didn’t; sorry, ZP), it’s crazy how Hval blends such heavy/serious lyrics with humor, especially in “That Battle is Over,” getting me intellectually OR immaturely chuckling at every other lyric. Fourth, I typically HATE lyrics, but I like the way Jenny Hval tells me how to think. Fifth and final, it’s impressive how reflective this Apocalypse, girl is of Black Metal in general concept. It’s like she’s taking all these nostalgic adult contemporary music-making aspects — with precise musical measurement you HAVE to see live to believe — and flipping them lyrically into this joyful persistence of sound surrounded by devastatingly true and infrequently transgression lyrics. I mean, take “That Battle is Over” for example. Listen. Ooo — it’s a video. Sick video with wipes and transitions and shit. Nice. People still make music videos!
[Then I list a bunch of literature and theory to follow-up and further prove my opinions above are legit]. Now pre-order your copy of Jenny Hval’s newest album Apocalypse, girl on Sacred Bones in limited LP, standard LP, and CD, and maybe grip a t-shirt too? I dunno, Sony!
• Jenny Hval: http://jennyhval.com
• Sacred Bones Records: http://www.sacredbonesrecords.com
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