The Practice of Love (album)

The Practice of Love is the seventh studio album by Norwegian musician Jenny Hval, released 13 September 2019 on Sacred Bones Records.[3][4] The album was produced by Hval, with co-production by Lasse Marhaug and features guest vocals from Vivian Wang, formerly of the psych rock band The Observatory, Australian singer-songwriter Laura Jean, and French experimental musician Félicia Atkinson.[5]

The Practice of Love
Studio album by
Jenny Hval
Released13 September 2019
Genre
Length33:50
LabelSacred Bones
Producer
Jenny Hval chronology
Blood Bitch
(2016)		 The Practice of Love
(2019)
Singles from The Practice of Love
  1. "Ashes to Ashes"
    Released: 10 July 2019
  2. "High Alice"
    Released: 13 August 2019
  3. "Accident"
    Released: 9 September 2019

The album's title was partially inspired by Valie Export's 1985 film of the same name.[6]

Recording

The Practice of Love was written, performed, arranged and recorded in Oslo. Vivian Wang recorded in her bedroom, on her bed, in Singapore following brain surgery. Laura Jean Englert recorded in Sydney. Félicia Atkinson recorded at home between summer and fall 2018 with "little I".[7]

Writing and composition

The album was written and produced by Hval after she completed writing a novel, titled Girls Against God, which is due out in November 2020.[8] The album was inspired by 1990s trance music and has been described as more accessible than Hval's previous work.[9][10][11][1] In an interview for The Ringer, Hval explained, "I wanted to have some kind of clarity in the sound, not to make things muddy and deep, but to have things very light and clear, almost like the element of the transcendental in trance. It's sort of an elevated state, a very receptive state, I find. I can write things that wouldn't happen with other sounds."[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[13]
Metacritic84/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Exclaim!8/10[10]
The Independent[15]
The Irish Times[16]
The Line of Best Fit8.5/10[1]
Mojo[17]
The Observer[18]
Pitchfork8.6/10[8]
Q[19]
Uncut8/10[20]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, The Practice of Love received an average score of 84, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]

Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album a favourable review, writing, "It may be her subtlest, most approachable album yet; though its ideas are just as complex and provocative as those of Blood Bitch or Apocalypse, girl, there's something welcoming about it that engages the hearts and minds of her listeners fully."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jenny Hval.

No.TitleLength
1."Lions" (featuring Vivian Wang)3:57
2."High Alice"4:46
3."Accident" (featuring Laura Jean)4:10
4."The Practice of Love" (featuring Laura Jean and Vivian Wang)3:03
5."Ashes to Ashes"4:15
6."Thumbsucker" (featuring Félicia Atkinson)4:15
7."Six Red Cannas" (featuring Vivian Wang, Félicia Atkinson, and Laura Jean)4:07
8."Ordinary" (featuring Vivian Wang and Félicia Atkinson)5:17

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Practice of Love.[7]

  • Jenny Hval – vocals, background vocals, composer, arranger, instruments, production, programming (all tracks), concept, recording
  • Lasse Marhaug – co-production, mixing (track 8), recording (additional tracks), electronics, art direction
  • Laura Jean Englert – additional lyrics, vocals, voice (tracks 3, 4, 5), recording
  • Vivian Wang – vocals (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8), recording
  • Félicia Atkinson – vocals (tracks 3, 5, 8), recording
  • Anja Lauvdal – synths (tracks 1, 2)
  • Espen Reinertsen – saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 6)
  • Chris Elms – mixing (tracks 1–3, 5–7)
  • Kyrre Laastad – mixing (track 4)
  • Heba Kadry – mastering
  • Esra Røise – artwork
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References
  1. Horton, Ross (13 September 2019). "Jenny Hval's The Practice Of Love is a succinct, exquisite return". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  2. Phares, Heather. "The Practice of Love – Jenny Hval". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  3. Gotrich, Lars (10 July 2019). "Jenny Hval Announces New Album 'The Practice Of Love,' Shares 'Ashes To Ashes'". NPR. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  4. Minsker, Evan (10 July 2019). "Jenny Hval Announces New Album The Practice of Love, Shares Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  5. Pelly, Jenn (16 September 2019). "How Dried Figs, Norwegian Coffee, and Rotting Porn Magazines Inspired Jenny Hval's The Practice of Love". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  6. Roberts, Christopher (13 September 2019). "Jenny Hval – Stream the New Album". Under the Radar. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  7. The Practice of Love (liner notes). Jenny Hval. Sacred Bones Records. 2019. SBR229.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. Moreland, Quinn (12 September 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  9. Lowe, Catherine (11 September 2019). "Jenny Hval & Jane Siberry In Conversation: Poetry, Religion & Music Biz Frustrations". Billboard. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  10. Blinov, Paul (12 September 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love". Exclaim!. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  11. Madden, Emma (12 September 2019). "Jenny Hval on her new album that celebrates clichés and confronts taboos". Dazed. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  12. Zoladz, Lindsay (10 September 2019). ""I Give You Something You've Never Heard": Jenny Hval on Her New Album and the Grand Puzzle of Existence". The Ringer. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  13. "The Practice Of Love by Jenny Hval reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  14. "The Practice of Love by Jenny Hval Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  15. Bray, Elisa; White, Adam (12 September 2019). "Album reviews: Pixies – Beneath the Eyrie, Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love, and Metronomy Forever". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  16. Kane, Siobhan (13 September 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love review – A wistful meditation on ageing". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  17. Segal, Victoria (October 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love". Mojo. No. 311. p. 86.
  18. Mackay, Emily (15 September 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love – ambient therapy". The Observer. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  19. Aroesti, Rachel (November 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love". Q. No. 404. p. 111.
  20. Dalton, Stephen (October 2019). "Jenny Hval: The Practice of Love". Uncut. No. 269. p. 28.
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