Customer Reviews

Take Me to the Sea

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With "Take Me to the Sea" Jaguar Love reinvent indie-pop/punk. Don't believe me? Listen to the album. Repeatedly; it grows and expands on each listen. And with headphones; this is an album with surprising sonic depth.

What is the sound? It's jagged and propulsive and it rocks, but it's also melodic and it's warm and it's catchy (not immediately, but again, after a few listens). It rejects the 'indie-disco-rock' trend that so many bands have gravitated towards -- think The Killers, Interpol, and sometimes The Arcade Fire -- for a unique approach that incorporates elements of bands such as The Mars Volta or The Blood Brothers (of course), Animal Collective (on "Bats Over the Pacific Ocean"), cabaret showtunes ("Georgia"), and even Elliott Smith (an admitted influence on "Bonetrees and a Broken Heart").

For every angular guitar line there is a fuzzy keyboard melody or a soaring vocal line. The vocals are difficult to love at first, even for a fan of Johnny Whitney, but after a few listens they begin to make perfect sense. This is an album to get lost in; let it take you wherever it wants to.

The mix is very odd -- at first, I thought the production was the weakest part of the album. But it grew on me. I could see the more up-tempo songs being 'heavier' live, but at what cost? Melody comes first on "Take Me to the Sea." It is truly the absolute newest breed of indie-rock.

Buy it. Don't download it.

Jaguar Love remains a curious prospect of a band. As it seems, the best way to describe almost any project involving former members of the Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves is as something "not for everyone." Too much happens on this record for something with such little respect for "accepted" music. Then again, that was the point of rock and roll in the first place. As such, calling Jaguar Love a "glam" or "punk" band is a misnomer in itself because, it seems, these are the only straws we can grasp at to deal with music that shifts and writhes almost as much as the band does on stage. A lot of people consider this music "destructive" or "explosive" and they wouldn't be too far from the truth. But in this case, what gets destroyed gets rebuilt, sometimes pieced together in a way we never conceived.

Comprised of singer Jonny Whitney, guitarist / bassist Cody Votolato and drummer /keyboardist Jay Clark, this outfit manages to push a lot of buttons at once. Clark and Votolato do a great job at keeping the listener off their toes. "Videoscape Seascape" does a 180 that never gets old and the "Highways of Gold" remains an impressive romping track. Whitney's voice (always controversial, even at times of the Blood Brothers) is not as bad as people think, but annoying and irritating are probably it's finest qualities. That is a compliment actually: sometimes he's Jonny Rotten, sometimes he's Mick Jagger, sometimes he's Freddy Mercury. His stream of consciousness / surrealist lyricism remains one of rock's rare gifts, taking you from black waters, to flamingos flying to Australia, to murdering the moon. Yet somehow, this volatile mix of people creates the funk of "Jaguar Pirates," the unprecedented dance / thrash of "Humans Evolve into Skyscrapers," and the almost-Broadway ready "Georgia."

This ain't commerce, baby, this is music. If you want to hear something on the edge that keeps you on the edge, grab this LP.

So, yes, the vocals might turn off people who are more into Josh Groban, but for those looking for something that doesn't sound like another Three Doors Down or Seven Days Grace (i.e. anything on the radio that all sounds the same), check out Jaguar Love now. For those of you coming over from the Blood Brothers camp, jaguar love is not the blood brothers. Don't expect it to be. Enjoy it for what it is. Beautiful music composition and unique vocals with abstract lyrics. ...actually that does sound like the blood brothers...

This is how all music should be: raw, challenging and evocative. It has been years since an album inspired such intense emotions in me and also deeply disturbed me. In my opinion this supercedes any of the Blood Brothers work (especially in their latter years). I just hope they are able to keep it up.

lots of people will compare jaguar love to the blood brothers and i simply say, that's not fair. this is a whole different monster. a very poppy monster! so give it a listen and enjoy the wide array of instruments and dont forget to check out the lyrics... johnny whitney is a lyrical master as far as im concerned. great album!!! hope for more....

So, Jaguar Love has come up with one of the albums of the year (2008). Not bad for a semi-supergroup involving former members of Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves. As fans of those bands may know this means 'Take Me To The Sea' is not going to be easy punk listening nor easy glam listening. Jaguar Love is a project you have to invest some time in to get the benefits from.

On first listen Jonny Whitneys' voice comes over almost like that of a petulant 6 year old girl; high pitched, strung-out to breaking point and ear splitting. It's not as unintelligible or as manic as much of Blood Brothers' screamo was but it is still sure to turn off many unsuspecting prospective fans.

That said, it compliments the screeching, staccato guitars that occasionally sound tortured beyond endurance. Cody Votolato hits his instrument with a primal, punk joy; the enthusiasm bleeds from the speakers helped no end by a loud, sharp, cacophonous production. It's not one dimensional by any means and there is plenty of respite amongst the barrage (although you should not equate respite with quiet!)

These two are backed by Jay Clark on drums and keyboards. The keyboards weave like early Faith No More (Chuck Moseley era) in, out and around the punk squall like sinuous tendrils supporting and softening Whitney & Votolato's screech and giving the songs depth and colour. His drumming, as in all the best punk bands, is complex but tight; driving, subtle and never boring.

After a few listens the songs reveal themselves and nothing is straightforward new wave/punk. 'Highways Of Gold' bounds along with a joyous joie de vivre, it's glam stomp upped to 11 in second track 'Bats...'. 'Georgia' is an alt-punk show tune, all soaring vocals and grand gestures. 'Antoine And Birdskull' is apocalyptic; approaching Coheed and Cambria-esque heaviness and reach. 'Bone Trees...' slows things down and could almost be dressed in a big feather boa such is its glam campness.

Yes, 'Take Me To The Sea' takes time but it's definitely worth it. It's lively, loud and original. Jaguar Love approaches on CD the manic-ness of an Arcade Fire live show. It may not be as multi-orchestrated but it is certainly as inventive and exciting.

One to scare the neighbours with and love with a passion!

A moniker more apt would be difficult to come by. The Blood Brothers may have fallen apart and exploded, but all the gore, teeth-gnashing, and creepily high-pitched noises we've come to expect from their---umm, shall we say "unique"?---singer rode the shockwave all the way here.

With his flair for surrealist lyricism and "Cedric Bixler getting a root canal sans novocaine" shrieks fully intact, whatever's hurtling out of Johnny Whitney's mouth at any given moment becomes Jaguar Love's main attraction. This Jaguar still has claws, but bizarre sub-mashups with showtunes ("Georgia") and dance-rock flirtation ("Jaguar Pirates") whet its appetite moreso than the all-out wild animals mating cacophony of early Blood Brothers. Near the end of their career, they had begun to tread this road; Jaguar Love's extension of the theme will cause fewer stomach aches, by far.

The exotic wails and caterwauls pervade an overgrown jungle of differing guitar techniques, courtesy of Cody Votolato. He provides some solid ground and a safety net for would-be victims of the big cat: "Humans Evolve Into Skyscrapers" pits blast furnace chords---TH-THUD!... TH-THUD!... TH-THUD!---against a rabid drum machine and squirrely keyboard licks; taken at face value, it's about as anthemic and carefree as anything on Clear Channel, except for you know what. Also beware dangerous head-bobs the likes of "The Man With the Plastic Suns," and circus caliber organ noodling typical of later Blood Brothers (see "Vagabond Ballroom").

Love it or hate it, Jaguar Love is par for the course for Blood Brothers side project afficionados. Completely unlistenable to the Michael Bublé crowd, Jaguar Love's most damning feature (you guessed it, the singing) is simultaneously their most striking, and endearingly unique. If you don't mind being struck or clawed at, they're a potent antidote to everyday, run-of-the-mill angular indie rock.

Upon my first listening of Jaguar Love's "Take Me To The Sea", it did not impress immediately, or shortly thereafter. Indeed, this album does shine with each listen -- which, I must admit, is surprising for a long-time Blood Brother and Whitney-Side-Projects fan. I will definitely say for you to give this album a few listenings before making any immediate judgements.

Jaguar Love is much closer to Whitney's Neon Blonde venture. However, Neon Blonde, although at the time seemed promising -- I recently gave a listen back to Neon Blonde's 2005 "Chandeliers in the Savannah" album, which now shows to be very sloppy, ill-produced, shoddy songwriting, and a generally not-so-good album. Neon Blonde - at first - seemed great for expanding further on Whitney's genre compressing experimentalism, but works better as a demo album, rather as a studio work, which did not stand the test of time.

Musically, Jaguar Love appears as the next chapter of Neon Blonde, but Jaguar Love is not sloppy, has good production, and has some top-notch song-writing.

"Bats Over The Pacific Ocean", "Jaguar Pirates", "Antoin & Birdskull", "Bonetrees and a Broken Heart" are some of Whitney's best songs - ever. Cody Votolato does some excellent guitar work, and takes his talent to a new, experimental, and overall promising level. Jay Clark is great on drums, and they come across as a tight band.

The surprising (shocking?) con of this album (for me) is actually Whitney's vocals. All too often on the record you find that he overuses the technique of slowing down the track in the studio which causes the effect of making his vocal pitch higher -- too high, like, Chipmunks high. (In the 80s this technique was essentially done to every Madonna recording to make her voice high). Whitney also comes across as too well-aware of his vocals and too focused on them, making them a constant throughout each second of each and every single song, rather than knowing to measure his vocals and use it to his advantage.

All in all, it is a very good debut album from a new band that has to break away from its seperate pasts, and one that has to move forward in the future as its own unit -- in its own. The album is good, but how good the album and the band truly is, will be determinant on how good or bad Jaguar Love's next release will be. Give it a few listens, and if you're a fan of Whitney, I think it's certainly worth spending a few coins to pick up.

At first I was thinking this was more like Soiled Doves, which I think is the weakest Johnny Whitney project, but after giving it a few spins in headphones then I started to change my tune. Now I would rank it as a more focused experiment on the level of Neon Blonde (though clearly showcasing different flourishes). Jaguar Love incorporates a strange blues guitar element almost like Relationship of Command crossed with Red Medicine, but split through the distinct tortured prism of the Blood Brothers and especially Johnny Whitney. Expect this album to take a few listens and some willingness on your part to not dismiss it befeore it's mashed-together song parts have a chance to become distinct. By about my fourth listen, halfway through the album it all started to click with me and I could even apreciate the stranger songs like Georgia. In general the second half really seals the deal. Now I love the album, but yes...it had to grow on me.

I was in doubt w/ this band when I heard their demo's online earlier this year but what studio magic they concocted w/ this magnificent release. I'm not a big fan of their "highway of gold" single but the rest of this album really shines. The second song "bats over the pacific ocean" is where I stopped cringing my teeth and took notice of the subtle but progressive approach they ease into. They have a trendy style that I'm not real fond of when all bouncy and obnoxious but surprisingly this isn't the case when they get comfortable. They have a more laid back approach than I was expecting. Now they do get funky and make good beats here and there but when they go back to a more melodic mindset that's where they pull me in. "Georgia" and "bone trees and a broken heart" are both perfect examples of Jaguar Love at their finest. "Bone trees..... " is a throwback to older 'doo wop' didies that has a nice groove while being modern. Also "georgia" has a nice hook that is really big and very catchy.

I also have to make an observation on the vocals not being for everyone. They really are the main focus although the instruments do take front at times and rock out. If anyone is familiar w/ blood brothers or neon blonde than you know what you are in for when Johnny takes the mic. He has grown to be a really good eccentric vocalist but don't be surprised if your friends hold their ears when he starts his crooning, he doesn't sound like anyone else so most will be disliking his style, oh well.

Now the reason I give this album a 4 has to do with the fact that they have a lot of room to grow. By listening to this c.d. you can predict that their next or later albums will be huge with a lot more orchestration and a lot more variety. They are definitely on to something and will probably be the next big thing before the end of this decade, just a prediction so give them a try before everyone else craves their uniqueness.