Avant-singer/songwriter Jenny Hval continues her already busy year with the announcement of a new EP, The Long Sleep. Hval announced the record today with the release of single “Spell”, which you can hear above.
Guided by a lilting saxophone, with flourishes of trumpet and strings, Hval’s delivery oscillates between spoken and sung words, as if each line she sings becomes slightly more melodic the longer it extends. As the song builds, she’s joined by a chorus of voices, making the song seem transcendent as Hval and company sing the song’s refrain together.
The Long Sleep follows Hval’s Lost Girls collaborative EP from earlier this year, and Hval’s last full-length album for Sacred Bones, 2016’s Blood Bitch.
In a slightly cryptic emailed statement about the EP, Hval said:
“What am I doing here? Am I communicating? Am I promoting?
I just want to tell you something.
There should be something I could tell you, there should be something I could do to reach you directly, but there is nothing useful in the way we define “you,” or “me.” There should be something I could tell you, there should be something I could say directly without lyrics and melody.
Maybe that’s what I’m trying here. Something else than lyrics or melody. It’s not the words. It’s not in the rhythm. It’s not in the streaming. It’s not in the “message.” It’s not in the product. It’s not in the algorithms. It’s not something you decided. It’s not something they decided for you.
I want to tell you something. I just want to say: Thank you. I love you.”
Hval’s 2018 will continue to be busy, as she also has her debut novel, Paradise Rot, set for release this fall.
Tracklist:
1. “Spells”
2. “The Dreamer Is Everyone In Her Dream”
3. “The Long Sleep”
4. “I Want To Tell You Something”
The Long Sleep is due out 5/25 via Sacred Bones. You can pre-order it here.
