Jackie West

“It’s me, baby, you”, Jackie West sings on the opening track of her new record, Silent Century. Like a hall of mirrors, West’s sophomore record unfolds like a playful conversation between the Brooklyn/Hudson Valley-based artist and herself. What emerges is a remarkable portrait of femininity and fluidity, of violence and forgiveness, of our capacity to heal. The power of Silent Century resides in West’s ability to make small moments ring out and resonate just as much as loud ones. On the title track, she investigates the objectification of our bodies—who owns them, and at what price? Small details (“plastic underwear", “nightmare of dismantled pleasure”) illuminate centuries of gendered silencing. As West embraces her multitudes, whether choosing to speak up or listen quietly, she now claims sovereignty for herself. Silent Century is out on February 27 via Ruination Record Co.