This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
How do you say psychedelic in Italian? Jennifer Gentle obviously know.
No, that isn’t a grammatical error. Jennifer Gentle isn’t some girly-pop singer-songwriter — it’s a duo of multi-instrumentalist guys who live someplace in the general vicinity of Venice. Although musically, they would seem to share turf with the likes of basement-fi envelope-pushing Americans like the Elephant 6 collective, judging by their new album Valende. On the one hand, they have a knack for playfully overcaffeinated goof-pop ditties complete with manically choppy guitars, sunny lyrics, silly voices, fearlessly creative production and helium-balloon solos. But they also have a more serious and artful side, expressed in downbeat grooves, skronky noise-fest experiments, ghostly falsetto vocals and darkly pretty melodies. Together, they’re like opposite sides of the same lysergic amusement park. Intriguing — in any language.
