The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Every Tuesday, the Sounding Board is a space for a short-ish review of a recent-ish release and conversations about new-to-you music. We’ll get things started with a write-up about a newer, likely under-heard album, and invite you to share your music musings in the comments.
At just 27 years old, Jenny Hollingworth has been making music for over half of her life.
As a teen in Norwich, England, Hollingworth began writing and recording songs with her childhood friend Rosa Walton. The duo settled on a cheeky name for their enterprise, repurposing the punchline from an old joke about how punctuation saves lives. Let’s Eat Grandma didn’t instantly find success, but it wasn’t an intractable wait for acclaim and attention. Walton and Hollingworth were still shy of their 20s when they released their breakout second album, 2018’s I’m All Ears.1 They followed it up with 2022’s excellent and tragedy-touched Two Ribbons.2
Like many musical partnerships in their second decade, Hollingworth and Rosa’s dynamic now provides room for solo work and side quests. For Walton, that includes a pair of successful contributions to video game soundtracks.3 For Hollingworth, it’s her solo debut, Quicksand Heart, a 10-song collection that blends synth-pop sounds and adult-oriented rock sentimentality released under the self-referential name Jenny on Holiday.4
As that brief description implies, Quicksand Heart is an album incredibly indebted to the music of the 1980s, and not just the cool stuff that’s regularly cited as an inspiration by synth-driven bands. The album takes some cues from the likes of the Cure, Kate Bush, the Cocteau Twins and early Depeche Mode, but there’s also big globs of molten ’80s cheese in its cardiac-fixated songs, earnest lyrics and busy, layered sounds. It’s the legacy of mall conquerors, Irishmen rapidly getting too big for college radio and Don Johnson.
Hollingworth, and the ringers in her corner, prove that those big, shiny blocks can make something worthwhile if they’re placed by the right hands. With help from producer Steph Marziano (Haylee Williams, Bartees Strange, Cassandra Jenkins and past column subject Picture Parlour) and guitarist Jacob Berry (Everything Everything, Two Door Cinema Club), Quicksand Heart’s music is polished until it gleams while avoiding the worst impulses of its sonic forefathers. A song like “Push,” which combines the pound of a real drum, programmed bursts of noise that sound like echoing handclaps, a tambourine-like jingle simple enough to be real or convincingly imitated by machine and shimmering synths, could be overwhelming. Instead, with each noise arranged like a dazzling bauble in a curio cabinet, it’s exhilarating.
And it’s a feat Jenny on Holiday is able to repeat. The particulars of the Jenga tower change song to song — a medical equipment beep queues up strummed guitar and a verse that climbs and climbs on “Pacemaker,” while “Apetitie” is a cresting wave of semi-apologetic ambition and desire set to characteristically twinkly synths and powerpop chords with a chorus delivered in a playground taunt’s cadence — but Quicksand Heart‘s songs refuse to collapse. That’s true even during the handful of moments the album veers into unintentional comedy.
“Groundskeeping” is built around an extended gardening-as-emotional labor metaphor worthy of Ryan Lizza’s blog, and it might not be the sweatiest extended metaphor on the album. That distinction probably goes to “Pacemaker,” with its refrain of “I need some shock to keep my pulse alive.” 5 The combination of a heartfelt desire to see dolphins, murmuring keys and delicate acoustic guitar that opens “Dolphins” feels surreal on first listen. However, Hollingworth sings the hell out of the lyrics no matter how odd or overworked they might feel. That blend of guilelessness and dedication is charming, and the depth of feeling she expresses is moving. Hearing Hollingworth work her way through the words “It′s like the feeling you gave me when you were around,” later on “Dolphins” ultimately makes the appeal of escapism and wordless connection in the world of aquatic mammals plainly evident. Plus, Hollingworth lands enough blows for a decisive songwriting victory. The internal debate captured on “Appetite” is keenly observed, and the moonstruck dialogue depicted on “Every Ounce of Me” is both realistic banter and adorable.
When a member of an established band or duo goes solo, it’s usually intriguing to compare and contrast their personal vision with their collaborative output. That’s not really the case for Jenny on Holiday. Hollingworth’s solo album keeps Let’s Eat Grandma’s weirdest impulses at arm’s length and leans into sounds that have been on the airwaves for 40 years, but Quicksand Heart isn’t a drastic departure from LEG’s three albums. Walton even shows up to harmonize and provide backing vocals on a few songs, diminishing the difference between the two projects and obscuring the need for a solo Hollingworth album.
By their nature, holidays — or vacations — are an inessential-but-coveted departure from the norm. They’re a time to decompress and do something fun in an unfamiliar setting. It’s OK if they’re not a massive undertaking or demanding jaunt. It’s just enough that they’re time away from the typical routine and provide a chance to recharge. Quicksand Heart, with its bright sounds and admirably unchallenging composition, ensures Jenny on Holiday aligns with the spirit of Hollingworth’s chosen pseudonym.
About the writer
Ben Hohenstatt
Ben Hohenstatt is an Alaska-based dog owner who moonlights as a music writer and photographer.
For more information, consult your local library or with parental permission visit his website.
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The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Department of
Conversation
What did we watch?
The Kids In The Hall, Season Four, Episode Twenty
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Hi! I’m Gezbo, the video-selling clown! Can I have a big hand for myself for no reason whatsoever?”
“You don’t see my $400 oversized shoes?”
“You’re growin’ up, Sparky, you’re growin’ up.”
“You brought me a high school teacher?! Eureka!”
“If Rudy passes, we’ll beat the shit outta ya!”
“Hey, that’d be great!”
“I am your karoma ghuta, eh?”
“I can’t believe how bad you are at cheating.”
“Actually there is a precedent for this, when you called in sick from your desk at work.”
“You didn’t just ignore me there. That was abuse. You abused me, Raj. You, of all people, abused me.”
“But Raj, what would have made me pick such an evil table?”
“Don’t piss me.”
The Practice, “The Candidate” – We open on a tableau: Dylan Baker in only briefs in his living room, Emily Rossum furiously washing her hands in the kitchen sink, Virginia Madsen seated in the shower and staring into space, and a dead body in the master bedroom. Friend of the family Ellenor is soon on the scene, and we are off and running in an engaging if somewhat convoluted two hour long season premiere. This one feels a bit more cinematic than usual, in part because it takes on a big screen courtroom thriller vibe the show usually stays away from. Certainly the twists and turns are closer to Presumed Innocent and the like that a typical episode. But then the truth comes out, Ellenor (and I would guess the audience) is stunned, and we get “To Be Continued.” And that sort of lets the air out. Additions to the cast for the season include Ron Livingston as the short term replacement for Richard Bay, and Bill Smitrovich as Helen’s boss. Lane Smith is the special guest judge, and is very good. (Worth adding that this was the first episode to air after 9/11. I don’t know if anyone would have been in the mood for this sort of plot. This is also pretty much I stopped watching, in part because for a few weeks it was really hard to get a good signal, but I had one foot out the door anyway.)
MASH, “Smilin’ Jack” – A hot shot evac chopper pilot tries to set a record for most patients flown to a MASH before the truth about his diabetes comes out. And Radar befriends the latest patient off the chopper, about to get his second purple heart. The pieces are well put together, but the plot is really silly since any record any pilot sets will be broken a minute later.
Frasier, “The Proposal” – A series of vignettes leading to Niles proposing to Daphne. A scene where Frasier and Niles looking for the engagement ring but being seen as a couple has both a hint of gay panic and a sign that being queer was a lot more accepted (even if gay marriage was some ways off). The actual proposal is warm and tender and wisely leaves the funny – Niles’s insanely elaborate plan, including food by Wolfgang Puck – behind.
Primal, “Vengeance of Death”
Cool implicit reworking of the title of the series here, as a shaman raises Spear up as a zombie. Now that he’s walking around with a good chunk of his brain exposed, he’s no longer a link in the evolutionary chain: undead is a dead end. He’s not the primal (first, primitive) version of humanity. But he is–as we see when he instinctively rescues a leper–the primal (fundamental, ineradicable) version of himself. His memories are vague flashes, but the feelings attached to them, like the longing when he recalls Fang’s roar, are still there and still powerful. And indeed, almost everything Spear does in this episode, from a rampage of revenge to a rescue to defending of a community to walking away from that community, is something he’s done before. It has more meaning now, as he’s rediscovering himself through a kind of ritualistic behavior. Maybe this is a plotline (mostly) episodic TV can do better than anything else.
Very anxious to find out where Mira, Fang, and Mira and Spear’s daughter are. (And of course, we have no idea how long it’s been: Fang’s body being comparatively well-preserved could be artistic license.)
Love those zebras.
Live Music – how’s this for article synergy? I went to see Jenny on Holiday do an acoustic set as part of her album launch tour for “Quicksand Heart”. It was fun, her voice sounded great and the slightly awkward stage chat was very charming. I miss the weirder side of Let’s Eat Grandma in her solo stuff but the songs are catchy, especially “Every Ounce of Me” (which possibly borrows just a bit TOO much from “Rush Hour” by Jane Wiedlin but if you’re going to steal, steal from the best).
Hamnet – I’ve never really gotten into Shakespeare so I was a little skeptical about how much I’d get out of this, but I’m glad I saw it even if it wasn’t totally for me. Jessie Buckley’s performance lived up to the hype and the witchy / pagan stuff was a nice surprise. I’m not sure if I’d have gotten more out of the theatre scenes at the end if I was more familiar with Hamlet but I definitely connected less to that part of the film than the earlier family scenes and while I felt moved by many scenes I didn’t find it the assault on the emotions that many have described it as (my girlfriend’s one-word review: “anticrymax”).
Woo, live music and synchronicity!
What did we listen to?
Long May You Run, Stills-Young Band
A shockingly lush album compared to Young’s solo works (and considering how it was produced, haha). I enjoyed how languid this could be, though none of the songs really stick with me.
Doctor Who, “The Sirens of Time” – There are approximately 5 million Big Finish Doctor Who radio plays. And I figured it was time to try one. And by sheer luck of the Hoopla draw, I found the first one ever. Five, Six, and Seven – the original actors reprising their roles – each have an adventure and then are drawn together to fix a massive mess they helped create. Fun little story with pretty good works by the Doctors. Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, better known as one of show’s jack of all trades.
Adventures in musicals: Finally listened to Urinetown and it’s…well, I actually know what I expected. The central plot is essentially 2000’s Brechtian alienation, featuring a main character who narrates and knows it’s a musical, all while flipping the bird at showstopping Broadway, corporate consolidation, and clueless revolutionaries, leading to…nihilism. It’s technically well accomplished, with “It’s A Privilege to Pee” and “Run Freedom Run” being highlights, but the ending is smug and heavy handed as hell. If the writer doesn’t think anybody in the story is worth a damn, why should I listen to the writer? What do you have to say except “Boy, everyone is dumb except me”?
P.S. Answering the question about where people shit in your musical about a town where everyone pays to pee with “It’s a parable!” makes me think your parable sucks.
Winged Wheel – Desert So Green
It’s kind of the inverse of this week’s column subject. It’s a willfully obtuse album by a supergroup of inveterate weirdoes that mostly eschews pop song construction. It made for surprisingly great background noise while working. This was my first Winged Wheel album, and I’ll probably work my way through their discography now.
Dry Cleaning – Secret Love
My mind isn’t quite made up on this one. The angular post-punk and Florence Shaw’s distinctive talk-singing are theoretically up my alley, but I’ve listened to every Dry Cleaning album upon release. I’ve appreciated each one, but I have yet to really fall for one. I usually find more to like with repeat listens though.
I checked out both of these too (limited new music options so far this year so I guess crossover is inevitable!) – couldn’t get into Winged Wheel at all which was a little disappointing but I thought the Dry Cleaning album was quite interesting. I’ve never gotten fully on board with them but they’ve certainly committed to their specific sound – that said my favourite track was the one where they change up the sound a bit with the addition of mandolin.
REM – Murmur: my favourite REM album and an easy 10/10, one of the best debut albums ever in my eyes – so atmospheric and mysterious.
The The – Soul Mining: love “This is the Day”, hadn’t really explored The The beyond that that. Thought it was pretty cool and quite odd, probably a band I’d enjoy spending more time with BUT the list rolls on.
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones: I like the pretty ballads on this one, particularly “In the Neighborhood”. I feel like his experimental side gets more compelling later on.
The Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops: never really heard these before at all and I thought this was excellent. I’m not always into bands where the first thing people talk about is the songwriting craft, it often leads to stuff like later-period Elvis Costello getting into Bacharach etc. and just becoming extremely dull to my ears. But Blue Nile have a cool and unusual sound, closest comparison from the list so far would be Japan I guess but there’s something different here that I’m keen to explore further. But again, the list rolls on…
Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City: never really heard these before either, I guess I expected metal but they’re more of a trashy glam rock band. I really enjoyed the first few tracks but it got old quick. Not bad though.
Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual: great pop music, I knew the singles but was pleasantly surprised that the album tracks mostly lived up to their high standard.
Paul Simon – Hearts and Bones: meh, not as striking as his earlier stuff, not as interesting / complicated as the big album to come. Title track is quite lovely though.
Echo and the Bunnymen – Porcupine: enjoyed this a lot more than “Crocodiles”, still not necessarily a band that will ever be for me but at least I get the appeal here. Nicely moody.
ZZ Top – Eliminator: kinda cool how they integrated synths / disco into their hard-rockin’ sound but it’s a bit of a one-trick album that lost my interest after the strong singles.
Eurhythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This): inconsistent, feels like a band still looking for their signature sound. But when they hit, they really hit.
U2 – War: I was dreading reaching U2, a band I’ve historically loathed but suspected I might accidentally end up enjoying and feeling conflicted about. It’s mostly their later work that has fully grossed me out, this earlier sound is bearable (and not massively different from Echo & The Bunnymen tbh) but I would only stretch as far as “tolerable” other than the closing track which is actually very pretty.
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Critical Darlings – first proper episode of this new podcast and they’ve already managed to land Griffin Newman as a guest, what are the chances!? I was curious how much the awards chat would interest me as a lifelong award-ignorer but I’m finding the insider info pretty compelling. Still have 30-40 minutes left and hoping they’ll get a bit more into Marty Supreme because it is the best.
Love The Blue Nile, Hats is strongly recommended and gets even further into pretty, poetic atmospherics. For a band forged in dance-pop, the lyrics are really obtuse in interesting ways, phrases misdirecting rather than naming exactly what they’re saying sometimes. I also wrote an article about them for one of my old stomping grounds but an ex made fun of the writing so I won’t post it here.
Covered “The Cutter” in my second band. Might have to listen to She’s So Unusual today, True Colours came up on a playlist recently.
I think I might have to break my focus on the list to check out a little bonus Blue Nile. Really gorgeous sound.
The Cutter is an excellent song! The support band at the first proper gig I ever went to was Electrafixion which I didn’t learn until later was Ian McCulloch’s band between the split and revival of E&TB.
Grateful Dead – 01/07/78 – In early 1978 Jerry Garcia was suffering from a severe case of laryngitis. This was the first of two nights with no Jerry songs. Bob Weir was called upon to hoist the band on his back playing two shows with only his songs (and one from Donna). Without the usual vocal rotation compensation is in effect. Free of vocals Jerry is able to concentrate on playing and he’s on fire. In a way the limitation allows the setlist to become limitless, nothing is routine and nothing can be “called” by the audience. Highlights include the disco version of Dancing in the Streets, Playing in the Band with a peppering of Close Encounters, and a great Not Fade Away. Anyway, often just a curio among thousands of shows, it’s become more sentimental the past few days.
All That Is Over, SPRINTS
Courtesy of a previous Sounding Board! This is a banger, exuberantly punk and dark, and it’s going to be in frequent rotation from now on. All killer, no filler. “Beg” might be my favorite of the bunch, but there’s nothing here I’d ever skip. Zero objections to this taking the top spot of Ben’s Best of 2025 list.
“Beg” featuring a string loop super similar to the one Fontaines D.C. uses on “Starburster” is a fun, bold choice. When I first heard it, I wondered if it was going to be a token change-up track, but instead it was some dark faith’s sunbaked gnostic hymn.