Juliana Hatfield - Blood
Catalog Number: ALR-0054
Release Date: 05/14/2021
- The Shame Of Love
- Gorgon
- Nightmary
- Had A Dream
- Splinter
- Suck It Up
- Chunks
- Mouthful Of Blood
- Dead Weight
- Torture
Praise for BLOOD
“Juliana Hatfield writes some of the most acerbic, delightful pop songs out there… Blood oozes with blatant and bleak imagery that lands like a deliciously inappropriate joke.” -Rolling Stone
“Exceptional songwriting and fuzzy DIY rock sounds… Blood is bubbly and sweet while still being rough around the edges, with plenty of head-turning lines to boot. Hatfield’s initial come-up in the ’80s and ’90s can be felt in the raw energy of the record’s powerful guitars, but her position as an indie tastemaker holds strong today.” -Paste Magazine
“The indie rock great delivers equal parts pop hooks and anger/frustration on one of her best records.” -Brooklyn Vegan
“Blood is a challenging album for challenging times. But its commentary, its auditory experimentation, and, despite the surrounding noise, its dedication to melody might be exactly what we need right now. It’s exciting to see an artist who, despite an estimable catalog, is continuing to make the best music of her career, year after year.” -Under The Radar
“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.” -All Music Guide
"The album boldly illuminates Hatfield in her most inflamed and liberated state, somehow both approachable and practically foaming at the mouth.” -WBUR
“Blood, an album that is both a reinvention and a return to form; she releases it amid a new generation of female songwriters – such as Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers – whose fierce yet melodic and thoroughly feminine sounds are implicitly linked to Hatfield’s in the 1990s. Blood furthers Hatfield’s skill for pairing hard with soft; her seraphic voice sings of fever dreams, anger and frustration… its pop hooks are laced with formidable waves of guitar distortion.” -The Guardian UK
BLOOD is out now everywhere! Be sure to support your local record shop. USA record shops have an exclusive sunburst splatter variant.
“Blood” is Juliana’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 recent collaborator Jed Davis’ 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.”
LP Pressing Information:
Translucent Red (1000 units)
Virgin Black (500 units) [SOLD-OUT]
Blood Red (500 units) *Label Exclusive* [SOLD-OUT]
Black w/Blood Red Splatter (350) *Indie Record Shop Exclusive* [SOLD-OUT]
Clear w/Blood Red Splatter (250) *Newbury Comics Exclusive*
Yellow & Purple Blend (250 units) *Bundle Exclusive* [SOLD-OUT]
Sunburst Splatter (200) *Indie Record Shop Exclusive #2*
Test Pressings (20 units) [SOLD-OUT]
Cassette Run Information:
White Cassette Shell (30 units)
Black Cassette Shell (35 units)
Yellow Cassette Shell (35 units) *Label Exclusive*
Test Cassette (6 units) [SOLD-OUT]
Cassettes and LP's include Digital Download Card (320 kbps MP3s)
Signed Copies will be signed on Front Cover
Tests will be signed directly on the Test Labels
All pre-orders include a free one-inch pin & 3" vinyl decal, while supplies last