Blood

Blood plays like a hybrid of the original work Juliana Hatfield produced during the Donald J. Trump era, or perhaps the culmination of the artistic themes she pursued over the course of his administration. It marries the politically charged protests of Pussycat with the inward focus of Weird, adding a sense of the D.I.Y. audio craft of her tributes to Olivia Newton-John and the Police for good measure. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 forced Hatfield to record her new songs at home, a move that winds up benefitting Blood. The electronic rhythms and computerized guitar effects give the album a rough-hewn edge, a nerviness that helps push the anxiety and dread to the forefront. Hatfield shrouds these complex feelings within the cloak of bold hooks and she modulates the album so it has softer, almost meditative moments that offer a bit of a respite. All the shifting sounds and emotions lend Blood an uneasy undercurrent that counters the immediacy of her melodies, but this tension isnt merely provocative, its nourishing. Few pop records have captured the agitation of the early 2020s as well as this homespun project, which feels a bit like a beacon in the darkness. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine