On Jennifer Gentle's third album, Valende, the group strips away the excess. Previously, the identifying mark of their crazy psychedelic pop was the depth and density of the recordings, adding layer upon layer to the sound, enough that it was hard to decipher individual instruments. Thus, it's somewhat of a gamble to leave their songwriting bare and let it stand on its own merits, but it's ultimately a successful one that let's them explore different emotions.
The lasting impression of their previous work, Funny Creatures Lane, was its looney-bin joy. Here, some of the more successful songs are the polar opposite. Strings and whispered, breathy male vocals give "Circles of Sorrow" a tone befitting the title. The instruments added to the guitar backbone work to accentuate the melody instead of adding clutter, as a female voice hums in unison with the guitar, xyloophone twinkle dances around the bridge, a clarinet adds countermelody, and gongs gong. Whereas on previous recordings these instruments might all be played simultaneously, here the group is much more judicious and restrained.
Another example of the band's new stripped down approach, "The Garden" (parts 1 and 2) is a beautiful folk song that largely uses only acoustic guitar and harpsichord, showing off great interplay between the two instruments. Its deliberate pace slows down your mind and all around you. As you start to relax, gorgeous female vocals, very similar to Cotton Casino's, rush in, filling out the sound.
While this new restrained Jennifer Gentle is great, the band still lets their crazy side out a little bit. Short burst of a pop song "I Do Dream You" explodes with electric guitar, a jumpy organ, and hand claps. Even more similar to the last album, "Nothing Makes Sense" closes things with trippy changes in pitch, pace, and tone, creating a chipmunk march of the damned. However, the band perhaps shows its least restraint yet on album lowpoint "Hessesopoa," which breaks "The Garden" in two. It's a messy, directionless freak out that lasts way too long, sounding like every other messy, directionless freak out.
So, while previous albums were happy just to be joyful, here the band is able to successfully convey everything from love and joy to loss and pain. With all those layers removed, their songwriting still stands strong, mixing peppy pop songs with slow, peaceful folk and psych. There's even a pitch perfect depiction of everyday frustration, "Liquid Coffee," sounding not unlike an old Bügsküll song.
