Classic Objects
by Jenny Hval
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Mar 11, 2022
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Fuerstenberg
    Mar 26, 2022
    8
    Jenny Hval's eighth solo project "Classic Objects" is by far the most straightforward and personal album of the Norwegian singer. The deep and layered production is characterized by surreal, loose, levitating melodies between psychedelic, electronica and indie pop with upbeat tunes.

    Hval shows herself calm and self-confident as usual. Lyrically she is always thoughtful, clear and    Jenny Hval's eighth solo project "Classic Objects" is by far the most straightforward and personal album of the Norwegian singer. The deep and layered production is characterized by surreal, loose, levitating melodies between psychedelic, electronica and indie pop with upbeat tunes.

    Hval shows herself calm and self-confident as usual. Lyrically she is always thoughtful, clear and direct. Overall, it's a soft, delightful album with music from the heart.

    My favorites:
    "American Coffee"
    "Year of Love"
    "Jupiter"
    "Freedom"

    ~ Fürstenberg
    March 26, 2022    … Collapse
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Mar 22, 2022
    4
    Jenny has always been aware of what her body means to her, others and the world. From her dissociative exploration on her stunning collaborative efforts that bore "meshes if flesh" and "innocence is kinky" to the insular meditations on the glorious "blood **** " that took menstruation down blackened vampiric path. Even the heady remuneration of "the practice of love" anchor a breathtakingJenny has always been aware of what her body means to her, others and the world. From her dissociative exploration on her stunning collaborative efforts that bore "meshes if flesh" and "innocence is kinky" to the insular meditations on the glorious "blood **** " that took menstruation down blackened vampiric path. Even the heady remuneration of "the practice of love" anchor a breathtaking analysis of relationships, womanhood and aging. The aforementioned were all dexterous shows of exactly what hval found important enough to source her music from but here she looks at herself with historical attention. Excavating her past for gems of emotional significance giving the suggestion the classical object she's referring to is herself. Looking for belonging though loaded moments such as the magnifying "American coffee " which spouts the couplets "What is a home but the place you'll be dying?/
    What's far away but places to lose yourself?" And like most of the record they are answered through a long rich narratives that leave greater questions at the end.

    In the moments when she steps away from the graying tapestries of her past she looks towards a future where protesting and activism have become trends that work more for earning clout for "caring" instead of intending real change. It's closing song boast a deceptive pessimism that sticks onto the album atmosphere in repeated sittings as apparent in "And this song is regulated by copyright regulations
    And dreaming doesn't have copyright
    I guess you could say "The revolution will not be owned"
    Which when you realize it is a depressing commercialization of suffering.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best Album of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Dusted Magazine
    Jun 22, 2022
    80
    Classic Objects demonstrates Hval’s capacity for musical growth and lyrical introspection. It is her best work thus far.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    Apr 8, 2022
    80
    They are more atmospheric and rhythmic than narrative and follow tangents into unexplored places. As both narrator and protagonist, Hval starts in a waking state and then lets the songs float away into unknown territory.
    Read full review
  3. The Wire
    Mar 30, 2022
    80
    Much of the album feels like this – danceable songs with lyrics that urge thought about the state of the world and your own place within it. The most engaging moments are those where Hval lets herself escape into the pure fun of making jams. ... On a quarantine album, a little bit of escapism feels right. Hval continues to ponder philosophy in her writing, but throughout Classic Objects she brings light to her fears and memories too. [Mar 2022, p.48]
See all critic reviews »