Jun 192009
 

One of the best musical discoveries I’ve made in the past couple years is Jenny Owen Youngs. Her first album, Batten the Hatches, and the Take Off Your Clothes EP have gotten steady play in my rotation. In fact up until the Great Hard Drive Crash of ’08 her cover of Hot in Herre was the most played song in my iTunes library. So it was with great anticipation that I purchased her follow up album Transmitter Failure.

Lyrically Transmitter Failure picks up where Batten the Hatches left off with it’s collection of songs about love gone sideways. The poor girl has never had much luck in the love department if her music is to be believed. Still, she is very good at writing songs about the resigned acceptance of doomed relationships. And yet that doesn’t stop her from pursuing them. If nothing else you have to admire her persistence.

Where Transsmitter Failure does distinguish itself from the first album is in the music. If I had to pick a single word to describe the album it would be lush. From the ringing, insistent guitars of Led to the Sea, to the weird, carnival feel of Clean Break there is a lot more going on production-wise. I can’t say this approach is better or worse than the sparser arrangements for Batten the Hatches. Both worked well for the songs on their respective albums.

The real question then is does this album represent a step forward or back for a promising artist. My response to such a silly question is yes. Transmitter Failure is a good album that pushes forward Jenny Owen Youngs’ music. That being said, my personal preference is for her earlier album; though it is a very close call. In the end this is another solid album from an artist who is rounding into one of my all-time favorites.

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