Right on! Review of Jennylee's debut album & solo endeavours
When Warpaint member Jenny Lee Lindberg debuted the song "Never" under her solo moniker Jennylee earlier this Autumn, it seemed that her forthcoming record 'right on!' could be a fusion and honing of that signature Warpaint sound with the wonderful Lindberg bass.
With only "Never", a minute long album teaser video and a back catalogue of Warpaint records to go by, that would seem logical. Playing at Band on the Wall in Manchester on 8th December, three days ahead of the release of 'right on!', it would still be a logical presumption to make prior to her set.
For a band that played their first live show merely back in October, Jennylee - or, rather, Jenny Lee herself - attracts a large, adoring crowd to a small venue. Heralded by her Warpaint colleagues online, and fans alike in Manchester this evening, Jenny Lee's first performance here was never going to be a debut show by regular standards.
Opening with "Bully", however, many expectations of Jennylee may be are somewhat shattered. A track that builds upon and indulges in that Warpaint bass playing that is so familiar, it also demarcates a style quite unique for Lindberg embarking on a solo endeavour.
For one, Lindberg is not playing her bass tonight. Rather, she will stalk and throw herself across the stage for the duration of the set, providing raspy vocals that rarely come to the forefront in Warpaint.
"Bully" has an uneasy eeriness to it, which is characteristic of 'right on!' as an album. No doubt, it's an opening to the set that may take some by surprise, following by the vibe of "Never", but Jennylee is met by overwhelming applause nonetheless.
"Boom Boom" makes for a fiery, quick paced performance under the hue of pink and blue lights, before "Never" provides the crowd with a safety blanket of familiar territory. For, as inseparable Lindberg is from style of bass playing that completes Warpaint, Jennylee's sound is quite the departure.
Lindberg's energy throughout the set never flounders, even with the mellow "Long Lonely Winter". Against a backdrop of velvety lighting, Jennylee and band come together as a dreamy sounding, well-executed whole. This strange lullaby ambience is not something to get used to though; "White Devil" fills the intimate venue with an all encompassing howling.
On a record that is dynamic and varied, "White Devil" proves to be one of the most electrifying moments of 'right on!' - and this is the case too for Manchester this evening. For the most part of the song, Lindberg's vocals are difficult to decipher, until she brutally screams into the crowd. The assuring safety blanket of "Never" is teared apart. The crowd responds with glowing appreciation, as Lindberg admits she probably should have saved that song til last for the sake of her voice. Shoulda, woulda, coulda her audience responds.
Yet for all the genuine appreciation and approval that Jennylee's set garners, there seems a real imbalance of dynamics. Ever the intoxicating onstage presence, Lindberg is met by a crowd who seem too paralysed in awe to engage back.
The stripped back haze of "He Fresh" and the illuminating groove of "Offerings" fail to outshine the sheer excitement that Warpaint favourite "CC" conjures. Though it is delightful to witness Jenny Lee reunited with her bass here, tonight's performance has so much more going for it. Real Life, for instance, sees Jennylee's most intricate of vocal performances, before "Riot" delivers one last punch as Lindberg screams, lurching herself across the stage.
Even at this point though, the crowd remain frozen, failing to bat an eyelid at her energetic delivery, applauding Jennylee only after the enchanting set has drawn to a close. For a show so intimately electric and full of Jennylee's flourish, it's a shame the crowd fail to meet Lindberg at her level.
As a debut performance, and prior to the release of 'right on!', it is of course hard to judge which direction Jennylee was going to head. Whilst her set in Manchester was well received, the album does insist on being approached with as open a mind as possible. It's a slow burning record and is unapologetically Jennylee - not Jenny Lee of Warpaint.
With this in mind and aside, 'right on!' is a delightful and impressive body of work. From the disconnectedness of opener "Blind", to the terrifyingly haunting aforementioned "White Devil". Whilst "Boom Boom", "Riot" and "Occurings" are exciting and easy to get along with, "Long Lonely Winter" and "He Fresh" are velvety treasures.
It is "Never", however, that remains a firm highlight of 'right on!' - in part because it serves as a reminder of the beginnings of Jenny Lee as Jennylee. In light of the release of 'right on!', it will be exciting to see how future live shows pan out.
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