Juliana Hatfield Blood LP

Blood is Juliana Hatfield's 19th solo studio album of originals, and a deep dive into the dark side. The album is a brutal and critical look at modern human psychology and behavior - at personal and societal sickness. "I think these songs are a reaction to how seriously and negatively a lot of people have been affected by the past four years," says Juliana. "But it's fun, musically. There's a lot of playing around. I didn't really have a plan when I started this project."

"Chunks" and "Had A Dream" are gritty and abrasive while "Mouthful Of Blood" and "Gorgon" are groovy and ultra-melodic. All of it is eminently hummable and thought-provoking. Sophisticated but catchy. Challenging but danceable. "I always love coming up with melodies and then trying to fit words into them - it's like doing a puzzle," says Juliana. "And I always find places to use the Mellotron flutes and strings, on every album, because those sounds are so beautiful to me. They are a nice counterpoint to the damaged lyrical content."

The album was recorded largely at home - Juliana's home in Massachusetts and new collaborator Jed Davis's home in Connecticut. "During self-isolation I took the opportunity to finally learn how to record into my laptop," says Juliana, "and that's how this album came to be. (Usually I work in a studio.) I did more than half the work in my room - with Jed helping me to troubleshoot the technology, and helping with building and arranging some of the songs - and then I finished up with additional overdubs and mixing with engineer James Bridges at Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA."

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 isn't merely provocative, it's 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.