A Modest Start
Chris Wren | Chicago, Illinois | 07/23/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's hard to talk about this music outside of the scope of the former bands, but inevitably, it is essential to this review. That being said, Jaguar Love, comprised of former Pretty Girls Make Graves and Blood Brothers members, sounds like one of the most well put together bands I've heard in a long time. This EP seems to crystallize the best of both bands: the solid rhythm of PGMG combined with the bratty sarcasm that made the last three Blood Brothers records so great. While only three songs, they are worth listening to to see how music is going to shift further. "Videotape Seascape" oscillates into one of the best songs of the year, taking art punk rhythm and harmony. "My Organ Sounds Like..." takes that waltz beat through a range of musical journeys. "Highways of Gold" feels a bit butchered by the mix, but still let's Jonny Whitney's voice do whatever it wants.
As always, music with this degree of vocal and musical extremities cannot be the easiest sell, and this is hard for people to just walk into. But this music is a good example as the way the music scene is shifting again and builds good anticipation for the full length. Worth checking out if you already dig the art-punk / indie-punk scenes."