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 Whilst
scanning for coverage on Seattle trio, Jaguar Love, it seems that
there’s as much, if not more, mention of the bands illustrious past (the
band comprise the remnants of two revered acts in Blood Brothers and
Pretty Girls make Graves) than what they’re currently doing.
Which is something of a shame, because what they’re currently doing is
taking alternative pop music to whole new and exciting levels with
infectious tunes which entrench the veins and plant themselves firmly in
the conscious.
The cover of ‘Take me to The Sea’, the debut album from Johnny Whitney
(vocals), Cody Votolato (guitars) and Jay Clark (drums) depicts an open
highway heading into a neon backdrop.
It’s a fitting image; almost perfectly summing up the journey through
the bizarre and strangely beautiful that Jaguar Love seem eager to take
us on.
It’s a journey travelled on the back of high-pitched, sugary vocals
which occasionally fall into desperate, pinching yelps; a journey guided
by voluptuous, enticing bass and steered by screeching rhythms.
The destination? Some kind of wonderful land where glam and punk can be
found loitering around structures built with all the convention and
sense of the norm of a Salvador Dali sculpture and cemented together
with a thick layer of anarchic pop.
And it’s that cement which ensures that ‘Take me to the Sea’ is such an
enjoyable listen.
Accessible enough in parts to appeal to radio listeners (though whether
that’s a good thing or not probably depends on your own tastes), yet
with more than enough sublime chaos swirling around within, each track
manages to stand boldly on its own whilst fitting in with the crowd.
From the opening ‘Highways of Gold’ right the way through to the
fabulous closer, ‘My Organ Sounds Like’, there isn’t a single ounce of
filler on this album.
Every track deserves repeated listens, even if only to savour every
intricacy and fantastic lyric.
And for that reason, whether you’re a long time fan of the band’s
previous endeavours, or this is the first time you’ve heard of them,
it’s hard to deny that Jaguar Love deserve praise for what they’re doing
right now.
In a nutshell: Riveting, enjoyable, anarchic pop created by
throwing punk against a wall of glam in sublime fashion.
You might like this if you enjoy: Pretty Girls Make Graves, Blood
Brothers, darn good music.
• ‘Take me to the Sea’ by Jaguar Love is out on August 18th 2008 through
Matador Records.
Recommended links:
►
www.myspace.com/jaguarloveband
►
www.matadorrecords.com/jaguar_love
►
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