Though singer and songwriter
Jenny Ognibene found a niche in the greater indie rock scene throughout the 2010s as a choir member and backup singer for the likes of
Bonnie "Prince" Billy,
Father John Misty, and
Richard Edwards, among others, the one-time music composition major was always releasing her own music. Her fourth album and debut for Mama Bird Recording Co.,
New Truth finds her again embracing the early pop/rock allusions of her prior releases while taking an unflinchingly personal, modern world view lyrically. In different verses, opening track "God Knows Why" addresses hearing loss, being stood up, and having a near-death experience ("I had time to jump aside and four unwilling people died/Though Iʼd been saying awful things about my life"). It does so while maintaining a relatively upbeat, distortion-textured indie pop that, at least musically, takes everything in stride. The similarly ear-pleasing "Small Talk" makes brief conversation of personal trauma while acknowledging: "I've been suffering/Some days are better, others are OK…I know you're suffering too, like everyone." Throughout the album, light vintage touches like the Mellotron on gently catchy folk-rock entry "I Don't Want to Live Alone Anymore," the trippy layered vocal harmonies of "What About That Day," and the sunny jangle pop of earworm "Even if I Tried" place these relatable anxieties in a familiar, comforting musical context. This effect is helped along by
Jenny O.'s sweetly world-weary vocal presence, which comes closest to losing its composure on a line like "There should be a law," which is to say, not at all. At the end, "Seek Peace" combines harmonic guitar, angelic vocal harmonies, and softly swirling synth flourishes for an intimate, poignant closer subtly reminiscent of
Beach Boys balladry. Taken together,
New Truth feels like catching up with an old friend who appreciates both real talk and the classics.