Batten the Hatches [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Jenny Owen Youngs

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2007)
• Original Release Date: April 10, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B000NOKASU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,758 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
At her best, Ms. Youngs packs the smart, feminist, and foul-mouthed wallop of Girly Sound-era Liz Phair. Add to that a vocal delivery that's beautiful but intentionally ragged, often brought right to its breaking point; her vocals are part Jolie Holland, part Nellie McKay. And it's all backed by orchestral indie pop that recalls Beirut on some tunes and Regina Spektor on others. Not all the songs live up to the work of those currently more famous people. But enough of this album does to make this one heck of an enjoyable debut. The record smoothly incorporates country, electronic, and orchestral elements, but the focus rarely strays from her gorgeous voice and trenchant words. Self-released to little acclaim in 2005, the album's been reissued on Nettwerk thanks to the use of a particularly catchy and profanely-titled number in the second season of the Showtime show Weeds. Thank God for television, and for smartypants singer-songwriters! --Mike McGonigal

Product Description
"I can't stay off of people's laps."

It would appear that Jenny Owen Youngs is a full-contact sport.

"When I'm meeting someone for the first time and my gut instinct tells me that we're going to be important to each other for years to come, I like to take 'making a connection' to a slightly more literal plane, and connect myself... to a lap. It's unconventional and maybe a little invasive, but people tend to remember you upon a second meeting once you've shared that kind of intimacy."

This mentality, which holds little regard for personal boundaries and getting-to-know-you etiquette, is the mortar of Youngs' debut full-length. Batten the Hatches is a collection of eleven un-love songs that want nothing more than to crawl inside your head and set up camp. Under the clever guise of sweet, unadorned arrangements and dangerously addictive melodies, they waltz in and do just that.

Each track takes aim: at the disembodied voice of an ex-lover ("Voice On Tape"); at whiskey bottles emptied to salve wounds ("Drinking Song"); at one particularly curse-worthy heartbreaker ("Fuck Was I"); at the modern crumbling structure of family and home ("Bricks"). With thoughtful lyrics and a flick of the wrist, Jenny turns poetry and pain into unassuming pop anthems.

On Hatches, there's also no shortage of cussing or drinking - and no apologies made for either. Why so unladylike? "Love is a mess," Jenny shrugs, "and I've made plenty of messes. It levels everyone to the same sloppy playing ground. Certain emotional states cannot be effectively recreated for a listener without the employment of a good, solid 'fuck!' - or twenty. If I can't come across as genuine, no one's going to bother coming back for a second listen."

Jenny Owen Youngs is a lot of things, but disingenuous is not one of them. Not-so-simply put, she's a feisty, hypersensitive, disease-free singer-songwriter and reformed Girl Scout who politely requests that you make room on your lap for her songs. Raised in the eastern deciduous forests of northwest New Jersey, our heroine spent her youth engaged in such rural activities as rock-skipping, bear-chasing, and waterfall-diving. She also logged countless hours spinning her mother's copy of Revolver and learning every last word to Jesus Christ Superstar. Jenny seriously dated both the flute and the tuba before exchanging enthusiastic vows with the guitar at the tender age of thirteen. She adores sharks - a residual fascination left over from teenage ambitions toward a career in marine biology. Jenny is also a Space Camp survivor. Ask her about it sometime.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sad, angry, thoughtful, creepy and j.o.y.-ful, , April 13, 2007

By	writegrrrl "reader, writer" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This album is all of that and more. Jenny Owen Youngs writes a mean lyric, has a coolly deceptive voice - it lulls you in and then wham! Hits you over the head like a pop song baseball bat. Love it. "Voice on Tape" and "F**K, I Was" are just awesome. RIYL Cat Power, Mary Lou Lord, Beth Orton.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wow, May 18, 2009

By	Jorge N. Gutierrez - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This Cd was not what I expected! I went to a show in San Fransisco with my girlfriend, and the whole way there I was telling myself to arrive with an open mind. I'm not really a big fan of female singers, but any live music is better than nothing at all. I was blown away by her live performance. I bought the Cd a few weeks later, and I was impressed, not only by her skills but by her song writing abilities. There are a lot of big winners on this CD. BUY IT!!!!!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT CD FROM A GREAT SINGER/ SONGWRITER, May 12, 2007

By	BCP "OSU Buckeyes" (SF, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Honestly, I had not heard of Jenny until I found out she would be warming up for Vienna Teng at the Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco a couple of days ago. I listened to a few cuts on the web and it grabbed me quickly, so I bought the CD a few weeks before the show. I listened to the CD in my bedroom at least a half-dozen times and loved every single listen. At the show, she was every bit as good as on the CD, and with a great sense of humor. If you like the female singer/songwriter genre, I highly recommend this CD, and am actually listening to it again as I am typing this. And, should you have the opportunity to see her live, I highly recommend you take it. You won' be disappointed.