A swirling, textured, surreal take on creativity; Norwegian artist Jenny Hval has shared her her latest single ‘High Alice’. Taken from her upcoming album The Practice of Love – set for release via Sacred Bones on 13th September – the song centers around a re-imagined version of the eponymous character from Alice In Wonderland.
“For a while, this song felt like my entire album. I had no idea what the rest of it would be, just a feeling like this song and the title, the two words ‘High Alice,’ would get me there” explains Hval. “My guiding stars at the time were Clarice Lispector’s The Hour of the Star and Kylie Minogue’s ‘Confide In Me.’ Maybe ‘High Alice’ is the narrator of this album. I don’t know how I wrote it, it was automatic. But I found it really funny that I mentioned the sea three times. ‘High Alice’ goes to all the places I have taught myself to avoid, like the four Big Themes: Love, death, life, the ocean…”
A departure from the darkness of her 2016 album Blood Bitch, Hval’s new record seems much lighter in feel and theme, but equally as complex and emotive. The gentle vocals, looped beats, and the narrative featured on ‘High Alice’ demonstrate Hval’s ability to captivate listeners with her intimate musical storytelling. She’s able to navigate the difficulties of love and loss via her ‘High Alice’ moniker with enviable simplicity
Listen to the track below and follow Jenny Hval on Facebook for more updates.
Jenny Hval’s new album The Practice of Love is released via Sacred Bones on 13th September. Pre-order your copy here.
Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love 2019 Performances
Fri. Sept. 20 – Sat. Sept. 21 – Oslo, NO @ Ultima Festival
Sun. Sept. 29 – London, UK @ Milton Court
Wed. Oct. 16 – Frankfurt, DE @ Mousonturm
Wed. Oct. 30 – Paris, FR @ Centre Pompidou
Sat. Nov. 9 – Utrecht, NL @ Le Guess Who? Festival
Sat. Nov. 23 – Katowice, PL @ Ars Cameralis Festival
Photo credit: Lasse Marhaug
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
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