While Jaguar Love might still feel the weight of their former glories, forthcoming record ‘Hologram Jams’ sets them apart from their past projects. While Blood Brothers had been a ferocious assault on the senses, Jaguar Love feels almost like that band’s trendier younger brother; all lively synth melodies and drum machine beats.
While this approach is likely to be divisive among Blood Brothers fans, at its best the record is a contagious electro-pop triumph. Single “Up All Night” is a great example, with its thumping chorus and boundless energy. While vocalist Johnny Whitney has tamed his vocal screech, he remains as distinctive as ever as his new found restraint allows for more melody. If it’s melody you’re looking for, however, then this isn’t the place to look. Like much of the record, “Up All Night” feels loud and garish, feeding the riotous punk energy you’d expect from the pair into a pop format.
This aesthetic also translates into the song’s music video, with a budget cut n’paste style that flashes with colour and enthusiasm. Like the music itself, the videos separate parts make little sense on their own, but have somehow been chopped up and rearranged into something oddly captivating.
Sleekly Lion.