Fans of UK post-punk/alt-rock band, Savages, will know Jehnny Beth from her time as their dynamic front woman. Others may know the French singer/songwriter from her numerous collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, including Trentemøller, Gorillaz, and Julian Casablancas, to name but a few.
Released at the end of August, Beth’s second solo album lands squarely in your face from the outset, with the first track, “Broken Rib”, luring you in with a short walking bass line, which is rapidly joined by a primal scream that ensures any cells that weren’t already awake are well and truly on alert. The energy of this opener, which is remarkably confrontational and controlled at the same time, sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The juxtaposition of whispers and edgy screaming vocals is immense, and there’s a sense, as the pulsing undercurrent slides in on the following tracks, of a dark and dangerous adventure afoot. It’s massive, honestly, and the sort of album that demands your full attention throughout.
Halfway through is my favourite track, “I Still Believe”. I’m captivated by the way this tune insinuates its way into your senses, slow and seductive, and a bit like dancing in the smoky darkness of a tiny club, then whack!, the noisy intensity returns to jolt you out of your trance, right before you slip back into the darkness again for a while. The sensory tug-of-war is delicious, frankly.
The second half of the album seems to accelerate into a maze of power and energy that brought the tunnel scene from Willy Wonka to mind, where Gene Wilder steers the boat and his unwitting passengers on an unsettling journey of blind faith.
Whilst we are happily devoid of Oompa Loompas in Beth’s company, it leaves a feeling of having been through…something. Restrained, unleashed, raw, contained, and powerful as hell.
This is a ride worth joining.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
You Heartbreaker, You from Jehnny Beth is out now – grab a copy HERE. and listen to it on Bandcamp.
