Jessica Pavone - Clamor in Best Album Covers of 2023 by A Closer Listen

Super pumped to see Clamor by Jessica Pavone in A Closer Listen Best Album Covers of 2023 list! We’re biased of course, but we think TJ Huff makes some of the best album covers around, so it’s great to see him get this recognition. Cool words from both A Closer Listen and TJ below!

Jessica Pavone ~ Clamor (Out of Your Head Records)

Artwork + Design by TJ Huff

Rife with color, movement and symbolism, TJ Huff’s cover art for Clamor draws on concepts of “women’s work,” incorporating the bloomers that are part of Pavone’s presentation. The image suggests freedom, while the improvisational music follows suit, an alternative to the restrictions placed upon women across the globe. Also worth note: the unique, hand-poured vinyl (5 copies!) from Wax Mage Records. Everyone had fun with this one, and it shows.

From TJ Huff:

The Out Of Your Head aesthetic has been slowly taking shape over the last 30 or so releases. Each time we work with a new artist, their identity gets thrown into the mix in a beautiful way and we come out with an even more evolved and defined look. I always love listening to the songs while I craft the visual housing for the release, and Jessica’s music was a great vehicle for this creativity. Our most successful covers come to fruition when the artist has some conceptual arc to the album, and Jessica supplied me with some great building blocks from which to build. From secret Chinese languages, to 17th century Korean seesaws, and 19th century changes in dress/identity, the album is all about women and their successful ability to thwart obstructions. It is an empowering concept choc-full of imagery and I used reference material from each of the aforementioned struggles to develop a single scene that incorporates them all in the OOYH palette of bright colors and wonky illustrations. I think the music powerfully and artistically emulates overcoming these female hindrances of yesteryear in a contemporary setting, and I aimed to do something similar with the visual art… I’m glad you enjoyed!