The opening verse of Jenny Hval's "To be a rose" wafts like cigarette smoke and floral fragrance, drifting ephemerally on a cloud of surreal non sequiturs, monotone melodies and electro-jazz abstractions.
But these seeds bloom in the first chorus: Hval's voice doubles as she locks into a haunting melody, the arrangement flowering into a lushly overgrown bed that continues to blossom throughout the remainder of the vibrant track.
It's a gorgeous first whiff of her upcoming album Iris Silver Mist.