Jenny Haniver - Haunt Your Own House

A Closer Listen

First off, what a cover!  Zach Hobbs’ art produces immediate intrigue; we want to know how this LP sounds, and we want to know right now.  The first born child of recording artists Amulets and Bus Gas, Jenny Haniver sounds a little like each, but has her own personality.  The album is hard-rocking, filled with riffs, but not afraid to break down into little ambient segments that may remind listeners of her parents.  The mood, however, is as apocalyptic as the cover art.  There are also some cool vinyl variants, especially the “Twister” Swamp Green, Bone & Hot Pink edition.

Whenever the timbres grow particularly dense, as in the finale of “Sunk Costs,” it’s hard to believe that this is the work of only two people.  These lads can rock, but as thick as their sound may grow, it’s never at the cost of melody.  Where are the “devastating drones?”  They turn out to be unnecessary, as a wall of guitars serves the same purpose.  The duo bills itself as “post-everything,” titling a track “Post Youth,” a possible nod to Maybeshewill’s Fair Youth.  Post-rock and post-metal are the strongest influences, although on “Post Youth” the synth bears hints of  progressive rock, “Potions” contains math rock portions and the bass of “End Daze” is pure spaghetti western.

There’s virtually no change in quality between tracks, and because the energy never flags, the album accumulates power as it progresses.  The riffs of “Afterlives” recall those of The Cult, while the breakdown offers the album’s most haunted moment, linking the music to the cover and title.  “Gravedancer” has a glossy electronic sheen, from stuttering start to sparkling ending.  Even the finale has a few tricks up its sleeve; the languid opening half of “Fictioneers” sets up the album’s best instance of dynamic contrast: an ambient center that explodes into mirrored fragments of synth, the tempo increasing as the drums gallop to the finish line.

Our interpretation of the title and cover art: each house has its own ghosts.  On Haunt Your Own House, Jenny Haniver approaches these homes in an unexpected way; the ghosts are not dispelled, but accepted, integrated, and embraced.  (Richard Allen)