Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender:  Jenny Hval is a Norwegian singer-songwriter whose career stretches back more than 15 years and is packed full of poetic, gentle, introspective, and often lightly conceptual projects. While she's had her hand in several side projects and collaborations, her best work comes in her core series of solo albums, which goes pretty much without a miss in the bunch. Listing the highlights would basically involve me telling you about each of the 5 projects she dropped between 2013 and 2022, all of which are absolutely worth checking out.  With a pedigree like that, there was no reason to go into Iris Silver Mist  expecting anything but continued excellence, and that's what I got with the brilliant lead single "To be a rose." It was announced alongside the reveal that the album would be smell-themed and even pulls its title from a perfume. That obviously shows up on "Rose" where Jenny begins to unpack how specific smells can evoke such vivid nostal...

Lost Girls is a collaborative project between Norwegian singer-songwriter Jenny Hval and collaborator Havard Volden. After an EP released years ago, the duo made their formal debut in 2021 with Menneskekollektivet  in 2021. Selvutsletter is a follow-up focused on shorter, more conventionally presented songs than their more compositionally abstract debut.  Review by Lav:  Very few artists keep their fans fed like Jenny Hval. I've often said that. not just because Hval releases music often but because it's always so good. Coming off of her excellent 2019 album The Practice Of Love  I enjoyed the first Lost Girls album quite a bit. She followed it up last year with a solid solo album in Classic Objects . Even though I think the project is just okay within the wider scope of her very impressive discography, it featured the incredible track Year Of Love  which went on to be my single of the year for 2022. Now once again Jenny Hval is back with a second Lost Girls ...

This was a very stacked week for new singles and while I do keep the list proper to just five I also want to recommend the new Eartheater song Pure Smile Snake Venom , Stillblue's Wait For Me - Reprise , Bombay Bicycle Club's I Want To be Your Only Pet, and Ichiko Aoba's meringue doll . 5.  Victorious  - Yung Lean & Bladee Okay consider me surprised. It's no secret that I'm not the biggest drain gang fan in the whole world but Lean and Bladee really came through with something so soaked in their cute boyish charm that I just can't resist it. Nothing here is necessarily new for them but the gentle vocal performances and icy sonic palette really work for me. Despite the hater allegations, I'm always amused and pleased to see them come through with something great.  Listen 4.  Moving On  - Explosions In The Sky While I wasn't blown away by the first new single from post-rock greats Explosions In The Sky this one is much more indicative of the group'...

5.  Tenkiller  - Chat Pile The breakout year for Chat Pile continues as they dropped the soundtrack for a film they scored a few years ago, lead off with this double single that contains more insanity from the band whose insanity is already a little difficult to describe. Whatever you think you're getting into with the heavy but well-paced post-hardcore instrumental, you aren't ready for the lyrics on this track. Well, maybe if you heard their full album earlier this year that can take a bit of the edge off.  Listen 4.  Nights In December  - Tkay Maidza So I didn't see this coming. It's an R&B flavored track sure but with a beat that combines some warbled synths with clacky background percussion that feels straight out of Tierra Whack's terminally underrated Peppers and Onions . The icing on the cake is a repetitive but effortlessly smooth hook that is pretty much guaranteed to stick in your head.  Listen 3.  Fingers Of Steel  - Shame While I'...

Jenny Hval is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who has attracted a cult like fanbase for her avant-garde art pop and chamber music infused style and unique lyricism. Since releasing her massively acclaimed breakout record Apocalypse, Girl  in 2015 she has been on a run of albums released on Sacred Bones. Classic Objects  is her first release on her new label, 4AD and follows the debut album of her side project Lost Girls last year. Review By Lav: As someone who is a writer, an art school grad, an occasionally pretentious music listener and most importantly a woman, I absolutely adore Jenny Hval. Her philosophical brand of self-reflecting and highly conceptual art pop consistently hits the right spots in nearly every element and has for over a decade now. Since I started full time reviewing in 2016 I have dished out a lot of praise to Jenny. Blood Bitch  was high on my 2016 albums of the year list as was The Practice Of Love  in 2019 and The Long Sleep  was one of m...

Another week and another round of indie dominating the list. Maybe all of 2022 will be like this and we'll witness an indie renaissance that's talked about for decades. Or maybe it's just been a good few weeks, TBD. 5. Watercolor Eyes  - Lana Del Rey In case you've been living under a rock there is this HBO show called Euphoria  that a lot of people have been talking about. One of the shows points of influence is the music its characters engage with and that it interpolates both diagetically and non-diagetically. The upcoming episode features a brand new Lana Del Rey song which fans got a taste of early and it's pretty good. While an artist like Lana has difficulty topping herself, she clearly has the focus to execute on the promise of her music consistently. Listen 4. Ecdysis!  - Darkside Darkside just keep getting it done. Nic and Dave are back with a new song from the same sessions as last years Spiral  album and it delivers experimental electronic sound palettes...

The five best tracks that came out this past week listed below: 5.  Waiting  - PUP The newest single from the PUP catalog is an absolute rager that explodes with jagged instrumentation and that classic punk attitude and flair we've come to expect from the band. They pull off a surprisingly emotional edge to the whole thing as the songs wonders why you continue to wait around for someone, when all signs tell you to just go. It's a punk song with more to it than meets the eye.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHG36NyvaUk 4.  La Fama  - Rosalia Feat. The Weeknd The latest in Rosalia's seemingly infinite streak of high profile collaborations is R&B crossover king The Weeknd. It actually follows the pairs collaboration on last years Blinding Lights Remix  but takes a much less pop approach sonically. It deploys a much darker instrumental palette reminiscent of Abel's early days but with a distinct Latin sound, and the blend pulls you in from it's very first ...

Lost Girls is the combination of one of experimental music's most acclaimed vocalists Jenny Hval, with frequent collaborator and instrumentalist Havard Volden. Despite her last studio album being released in 2019 Jenny has been busy since then with her novel To Hate God  recently being translated and released in English. Menneskekollektivet  follows the duo's 2018 two-track debut EP Feeling . Review By Lav: I've always loved Jenny's music, as you could tell if you've seen me dish out tons of acclaim to her 2019 and 2016 albums The Practice Of Love  and Blood Bitch  as well as her 2018 EP The Long Sleep . While I enjoyed the original EP from Lost Girls it didn't knock my socks off in the same way some of her other work had. Despite that I was excited going into this project especially after liking both the singles, and I'm happy to report the music here is pretty solid.  The album is 44 minutes split over just 5 tracks, the first two of which were released in...

Chelsea Wolfe is an American singer-songwriter who has been releasing music for almost a decade that interpolates folk, electronica, rock and even some metal into her sound over the years. She released one of her most acclaimed records to date in 2017 with Hiss Spun  and has been building up to Birth Of Violence  with more acoustic and atmospheric singles. Review By Lavender: Chelsea Wolfe has never really crossed my radar until I decided to check out her 2017 record Hiss Spun  as it received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The record was a strange odyssey of genre crossovers and indulgent songwritng that I enjoyed and even one that grew on me after I first heard it. I figured Birth Of Violence  would be a good moment to dive into her history and listen to some of her older records I had missed and I have to say that I wasn't really overwhelmingly impressed. While Apokalypsis and Pain Is Beauty  were interesting listens that I enjoyed ...

Jenny Hval  is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who dropped her breakout record  Innocence Is Kinky  in 2013 to critical acclaim, citing her bold spoken word style and unrelenting female sexuality as refreshing qualities. Since then she has continued to receive critical acclaim for records like  Apocalypse, Girl  and Blood Bitch as well as a very well received EP last year. As her style continues to evolve musically and thematically from record to record it is difficult to predict what Jenny will do next, but expectations are high for her first studio album in three years. Review By Lavender: I am a huge fan of Jenny Hval and have been for about as long as she has been around. While I missed Viscera  in 2011 I was around for Innocence Is Kinky  and I liked it a whole lot, and still do to this day. 2015's Apocalypse, Girl  was one of her most popular and critically acclaimed records and while I enjoyed it quite a bit and was happy for her ...

1. Bon Iver - Faith Bon Iver grabs a second #1 debut of 2019 with the announcement of a new record and two follow-up singles to the two excellent songs they released a few months ago. 2. Jenny Hval - Ashes To Ashes Jenny Hval takes off strong in 2019 after her excellent solo EP and the debut of the lost girls project made waves in 2018. 3. Of Monsters And Men - Wild Roses Of Monsters and Men return with their second single and attempt to turn back the clock to the early years of this decade. 4. Common - Hercules  (Feat. Swizz Beatz) Common recruits veteran Swizz for production on the lead single to the legendary rap artists new project. 5. Nas - Jarreau Of Rap Nas' Lost Tapes  series gets its first true taste with this out of the blue single. 6. Future - 100 Shooters  (Feat. Meek Mill & Doe Boy) Future proves to be as prolific as ever and drops yet another single after releasing a full length album and a follow-up EP earlier this year. 7. Rosalia - M...

Weyes Blood is the pseudonym of Natalie Mering who has been releasing baroque and chamber pop music under the name for almost a year now. After receiving more acclaim and popularity with each release Titanic Rising  has a number of very well received singles leading up to its release and looks to be the most successful Weyes Blood project to date. Review By Lav: I can't say I've ever been a big fan of Weyes Blood up to this point, 2016's Front Row Seat To Earth was a step in the right direction but still an album that I found hard to remember even as I had just heard it. But given her switch to Sub Pop for the release of this album and a trilogy singles well received by her fans and critics alike there is all the more reason to believe that this will be the most complete and essential Weyes Blood project yet. Let's start with the singles, as they represent large categories of what appears across most of this album. Andromeda  is a huge spacey instrumental that...

How you release music can impact the way its perceived in a big way, as viral exposure slowly becomes the name of the game in popular music these artists stick to their guns and release incredible EPs.  Hozier - Nina Cried Power  Protomartyr - Consolation The Weeknd - My Dear, Meloncholy Clipping. - Face Remo Drive - Pop Music Honorable Mention Tracks To Listen To: Nina Cried Power - Hozier , Wheel Of Fortune - Protomartyr , Call Out My Name - The Weeknd, Block - Clipping, Blue Ribbon - Remo Drive 10. The Neighborhood - Ever Changing Last year the Neighborhood got their new era off to a hot start with a great EP that ended up landing on our best EPs list last year. Despite that they also dropped two mediocre short form projects before releasing their self titled album this year. But before the year was out they comfortably made up for it with this solid blend of pop and rap that features their infectious hooks and guitar licks melded with some old school an...