OKComputer1016
09/25/08, 09:12 AM
Jaguar Love – Take Me to the Sea
Record Label: Matador Records
Release Date: April 19, 2008
If these irritatingly lovable vocals sound familiar to you, there’s a reason. This is Cody Votolato and Johnny Whitney’s third band together within the last few years (Blood Brothers, Neon Blonde), and they’ve done very little to switch up their frontman formula. However, on the bright side, they’ve done very little to switch up their frontman formula. Take Me to the Sea is just absolutely ridiculous in all the right ways, and it’ll dry the tears of Blood Brothers mourners everywhere.
Obviously in ditching the other members of their decade-spanning cult-favorite group but still sticking together themselves, Votolato and Whitney were looking to redefine themselves. That explains Neon Blonde, their piano based indie-dance group, but Jaguar Love sounds exactly like what the Blood Brothers would have sounded like in 2008 – this is a totally logical follow up to Young Machetes in every way. It’s got a lot of not-typically-punk flourishes, sure, but it’s probably more straight forward than Crimes (and it’s a lot better of an album, too.)
Augmenting the lineup slightly, drummer Jay Clark (formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves) adds a nice backbone here, never overly showy but definitely talented and interesting. You’ll probably forget he’s even there as the other two tend to steal the show, but he’s credited with some bass and keyboard playing as well so give the man his due. This isn’t really a percussionist’s album anyway; it’s a chorus album, and choruses there are a-plenty. Just like any Blood Brothers fan would expect, Take Me to the Sea is just a very exciting album – it definitely gets you involved and singing along, even though there is no goddamn way you can reach those falsetto notes*.
“Vagabond Ballroom” rocks, guided by Whitney’s ridiculous scream, some seriously creepy guitar, and an explosive chorus – listen for the organ freakout towards the end. But it’s tracks like “Bats Over the Pacific Ocean” that’ll surprise you the most with its stripped down, folky sound. Thanks to the bells over the chorus, you could definitely picture somebody like Feist singing on this tune. It really is incredible that Whitney’s scream and Votolato’s shaky mumbling can fit so well, basically unchanged, in a new environment such as this.
Of course, Take Me to the Sea has the potential to be very, very hated by plenty of people. The vocals will take some getting used to if you haven’t already heard them, and even after that, this group can’t be everybody’s cup of tea. But if you’ve got any interest in the Blood Brothers or if you’re tired of hearing the same kinds of groups over and over under the heading of ‘Indie Rock’, this should be right up your alley.
Don’t Believe Me?
www.myspace.com/jaguarlove
Recommended If You Like:
Blood Brothers’ Young Machetes, Blood Brothers’ Crimes, Neon Blonde (but much better)… There’s little else to compare these guys to.
*Is there a higher note classification than “falsetto?”
Record Label: Matador Records
Release Date: April 19, 2008
If these irritatingly lovable vocals sound familiar to you, there’s a reason. This is Cody Votolato and Johnny Whitney’s third band together within the last few years (Blood Brothers, Neon Blonde), and they’ve done very little to switch up their frontman formula. However, on the bright side, they’ve done very little to switch up their frontman formula. Take Me to the Sea is just absolutely ridiculous in all the right ways, and it’ll dry the tears of Blood Brothers mourners everywhere.
Obviously in ditching the other members of their decade-spanning cult-favorite group but still sticking together themselves, Votolato and Whitney were looking to redefine themselves. That explains Neon Blonde, their piano based indie-dance group, but Jaguar Love sounds exactly like what the Blood Brothers would have sounded like in 2008 – this is a totally logical follow up to Young Machetes in every way. It’s got a lot of not-typically-punk flourishes, sure, but it’s probably more straight forward than Crimes (and it’s a lot better of an album, too.)
Augmenting the lineup slightly, drummer Jay Clark (formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves) adds a nice backbone here, never overly showy but definitely talented and interesting. You’ll probably forget he’s even there as the other two tend to steal the show, but he’s credited with some bass and keyboard playing as well so give the man his due. This isn’t really a percussionist’s album anyway; it’s a chorus album, and choruses there are a-plenty. Just like any Blood Brothers fan would expect, Take Me to the Sea is just a very exciting album – it definitely gets you involved and singing along, even though there is no goddamn way you can reach those falsetto notes*.
“Vagabond Ballroom” rocks, guided by Whitney’s ridiculous scream, some seriously creepy guitar, and an explosive chorus – listen for the organ freakout towards the end. But it’s tracks like “Bats Over the Pacific Ocean” that’ll surprise you the most with its stripped down, folky sound. Thanks to the bells over the chorus, you could definitely picture somebody like Feist singing on this tune. It really is incredible that Whitney’s scream and Votolato’s shaky mumbling can fit so well, basically unchanged, in a new environment such as this.
Of course, Take Me to the Sea has the potential to be very, very hated by plenty of people. The vocals will take some getting used to if you haven’t already heard them, and even after that, this group can’t be everybody’s cup of tea. But if you’ve got any interest in the Blood Brothers or if you’re tired of hearing the same kinds of groups over and over under the heading of ‘Indie Rock’, this should be right up your alley.
Don’t Believe Me?
www.myspace.com/jaguarlove
Recommended If You Like:
Blood Brothers’ Young Machetes, Blood Brothers’ Crimes, Neon Blonde (but much better)… There’s little else to compare these guys to.
*Is there a higher note classification than “falsetto?”