Jehnny Beth - “You Heartbreaker, You” Review
Written by Beau Croxton
You Heartbreaker, You finds Jehnny Beth harnessing her most ferocious spirit– the energy is palpable and the highlights are huge.
Jehnny Beth’s return in 2025 is a bold and brash one with her new record, You Heartbreaker, You. On this album, Jehnny expands on her most raw and visceral sound, which is raising hell and harnessing power. The record doesn't really give you a chance to breathe; it's a searing effort that aims to shake the ground from its first moment to its last– and for the most part, it's very successful in doing so. It pulls from punk, post-punk, industrial, metal, nu-metal and goes full throttle with a relentless energy that should bring a sense of catharsis to fans of her most intense work. The album was recorded with her frequent collaborator Johnny Hostile, and it’s got plenty of incredibly satisfying rippers and a relentless momentum throughout.
“Broken Rib” is a purely explosive opener that leans into a Nine Inch Nails vibe that runs through the veins of the full record. “We learn to breathe with a broken rib” is a lyric that should resonate for folks from many walks of life– the track is incredibly satisfying as a bombastic opening.
“No Good for People” is a standout with rapid-fire percussion and catchy vocals. Perhaps a song about an oppressive person, the song points out that we still haven’t “found a way to kill” them yet. The guitars sound like The Strokes or The Kills trying to impress Trent Reznor– the track is filled to the brim with fantastic sonic details. “Obsession” is a solid banger about an obsessive and possessive individual, anchored by dissonant guitars and a dirty, psychotic instrumental that builds and builds until it slams into a cathartic explosion– its crescendo is fantastic.
Jehnny Beth by Johnny Hostile
“Out Of My Reach” has an ear-worm of a chorus, but it sometimes dives into some generic radio-rock tropes, which is my biggest quip with the record. Jehnny’s best solo work (and her best work with Savages) rides high because it is outside the norm— it always has its own unique character and edge to set it apart. Despite this, the aggressive downstrokes of the guitar really drive this track expertly, and it has its moments. “I Still Believe” continues the possessive love theme from “Obsession”, as many songs do on the record. It has a remarkable instrumental, but it also tends to veer too far into nu-metal territory (for my taste at least).
“Reality” pulses with unsettling, nasty guitars and distorted vocals, and it sounds like it could be on the soundtrack of a modern horror movie. Beth’s pen game truly shines on lyrics like “Anyone who does anything with their heart knows one day they will have it broken”. The following track “Stop Me Now” has an incredible, distorted bass sound that shines on the chorus, and it bursts with dissonant guitar and an intimidating presence throughout. By this point, the love-obsessive themes in the music start to run dry, but it sure sounds incredible.
“High Resolution Sadness” is a brilliant assault on the senses, full of fast pace crashing drums, filthy distorted bass and Jehnny’s chaotic best vocal performance. This doomscrolling anthem is a massive highlight and it should be a total staple in her live show setlist moving forward. “I See Your Pain” is a fitting closer that opens with great lyrics, but leaves a good deal of its words open to interpretation. Beth has always been a thought-provoking and poetic lyricist and this track is no different.
The album is very straightforward, raw, real, ripping, and brash in a great way. If you miss the more “in your face” type of music from Jehnny’s solo career (or the raw power that her prior band Savages used to provide) this is a very satisfying chunk of consistent Jehnny-tunes that scratch that itch (and rip that hard). The only slight drawbacks on this exciting record are that sometimes the love-obsessed theme feels a bit redundant, and the excellent Nine Inch Nails-type grit occasionally pushes just a little too far into more generic nu-metal moments(for my taste). But ultimately as a whole, the record is an epic, cohesive, searing effort with an undeniable energy. The huge highlights and high energy of You Heartbreaker, You make it a thrilling listen every time, and every song will surely translate incredibly well live.
Considering Beth has been regularly opening for Queens of the Stone Age and playing festivals with much heavier artists like Korn and Tool, you can’t help but think this explosive sonic outing was heavily inspired by the imagination of how it could excel in a live setting. The album also serves as a raging, cathartic soundtrack in these troubling times— that is made clear when it starts with a scream and never really stops exploding throughout. You Heartbreaker, You should propel Jehnny Beth’s live show into the stratosphere— and it’ll be a sight to see, as this type of rabid energy is built for the stage.
Occult Highlights: High Resolution Sadness, Broken Rib, No Good for People, Obsession
(…but we recommend you spin the whole thing while you go insane at the gym {or in the mirror})