Jenny Death
By Death Grips
Distributed by Harvest Records
Death Grips are at their best when they try to defy expectations. Last year, they released their shortest record yet, N*ggas on the Moon, claiming it was part of their two-disc compilation The Powers that B. Almost immediately after, they released a statement on their Facebook page claiming they were no longer going to be touring or making new music.
In January this year, again unannounced, they dropped Fashion Week, a collection of instrumental tracks whose titles spell out “JENNY DEATH WHEN.” Next thing you know, Jenny Death, the second disc of The Powers that B was streamed in its entirety on YouTube, followed by the announcement that Death Grips were going on tour again. Despite being packaged with N*ggas on the Moon into The Powers that B, the two discs are completely distinct albums. Jenny Death is a straightforward album, if only by Death Grips’ standards. This is a much more melodic and upbeat record than N*ggas on the Moon, featuring almost dance-floor oriented beats and live instrumentation combined with the most diverse vocal performance from MC Ride in their entire discography.
Jenny Death will undoubtedly please any Death Grips fan, with their most energetic and playful record to date. The aggression remains, but the group have managed to channel all of their hatred and anger into a completely unique but recognizable Death Grips record.
Tracks like “Inanimate Sensation” and “The Powers that B” harken back to the more abrasive hits from The Money Store. The band goes in a new direction with heavy guitar and drums on “Why a Bitch Gotta Lie,” “Centuries of Damn,” and “On GP.”
Even at their most melodic and accessible level as is on Jenny Death, Death Grips are always finding ways to experiment with their sound. It is aggressive, noisy, fuelled by hatred and anguish, yet you will never feel more alive than during a Death Grips record.
