Jaguar Love – Hologram Jams
Record Label: Fat Possum
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Expectation is something that a lot of artists have to live up to because of their fans. It seems the best artists could give two shits about anyone's expectations except their own. Sometimes what we want isn't what we get, and we struggle with swallowing the food in front of us. Enter Jaguar Love's second album Hologram Jams. Less of an electronic beat with a punk undertone like their debut Take Me to the Sea, it's a full on beatbox of playful lyrics, guitar drives and vocalist Johnny Whitney's high party pitches.
Comparing "Jaguar Pirates" to "Jaguar Warriors" is a case in point. Where the former was outlined in punk attitude and laced in an abrasive drive, the latter is an upbeat march of playful lyricism. From the infectious "Cherry Soda" to the delayed frequencies of "Everything is Awesome," the album boast what it is from the start of "I Started a Fire." It's nothing more and nothing less. "I built a campfire in a burning swimming pool in Beverly Hills," boast Whitney on the opener. It's that same audible fantasy from there until the end.
The most controversial track on the album may be its last. Only to be used as a bonus track for sale on one of the digital outlets, the band covers a cover of "Piece of My Heart," a song made famous by Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company, but in fact was a cover song originally by Erma Franklin. It'll either be a jam piece for some, or blasphemy for others - it's for the listener to decide as Whitney belts it out in honor of Joplin herself.
The album was weird to listen to at first because of the flow of Take Me to the Sea. Once "Sad Parade" hit, and especially its lyrics, the conclusion was simply, "It is what it is." While many fans of the duo (Whitney and guitarist Cody Votolato) will be looking for more of the band's last feature (and for some of their former band's antics), it's not going to be found on Hologram Jams. There's only a fun time laced in absurdity. Sorry if you were expecting more - it doesn't exist. Just try to enjoy it.
Can't handle any of this guy's work. My friend bought Hologram Jams while we were in California and listened to it relentlessly. The vocals are painful to me.
This album is a guilty pleasure of mine, but I wasn't expecting such a positive review.
Although, I'd like to know how the hell you think the lyrics are worthy of a 7.5. Enjoyable, fun, and catchy album, yes, but the lyrics are terrible.
I don't think the lyrics are terrible out of context. If this was a band taking themselves seriously, yes, but go read Blood Brother's lyrics, Whitney has always been toying around with weird fantasy stories from the beginning. I think the music just makes people think they're less than they really are. Like I said, a lot of the album is what it is. my opinion too. so, sorry, I guess.
If you are a fan of the Blood Brothers, I dont see how you couldnt be a fan of this album. It basically sounds just like them both lyrically and musically IMO. So far this is in my top 3 albums of 2010
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