As the Jenny Death fiasco drags on longer and longer, Death Grips have released a second single from the elusive album. It’s the first taste of the album fans have had since Inanimate Sensation dropped in December, and it’s exciting for all the right reasons.
The track, titled “On GP’, is one of the most raw, emotional tracks in their entire catalog. Most of the band’s lyrics are mired in cryptic verse and ultraviolence, but this new song displays an entirely different side of vocalist Stefan Burnett. Instead of his usual obfuscation, On GP delivers some very straightforward, hard-hitting lyrics about being on the edge of committing suicide. It’s a striking view into the darkness that must exist inside Burnett, and the lines “Like a question no one mention/He turns around hands me his weapon/He slurs use at your discretion/It’s been a pleasure, Stefan” are downright bone-chilling.
However, the music of this track is a different story. It features elements both old and new, hearkening back to the guitar-driven style of Exmilitary, while complimenting it with intense live drums and a progressive song structure. The sound here is almost triumphant at times, and at others it dips into a lull, buoyed by an unsettling organ line, climaxing with tortured guitar bends and crashing cymbals. This sound was slightly hinted at on Fashion Week, but was nowhere near as developed – and it also begs the question, who’s playing the guitar here?
Based on the two songs released from Jenny Death so far, this album is going to be the most varied of their career. The contrast of the pounding, beat-oriented Inanimate Sensation to the guitar-driven, melodic On GP is huge, and one can only imagine what the other 8 songs will feature.
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