With
Jaguar Love’s 2008 debut, the former
Blood Brothers and
Pretty Girls Make Graves members seemed to be headed in a poppier direction, but no one could be prepared for what they had in store for
Hologram Jams. For their 2010 outing, the group went the
Har Mar Superstar route and made a full-on computerized pop album. Without key member, drummer/bassist/sometime keyboardist, J. Clark, the former power trio continued on as a guitar and laptop duo. It’s a huge turn, and because
Hologram Jams is so synthesized, with the only organic ingredient being Cody Voltolato’s processed guitar, Johnny Whitney’s dazzlingly shrill singing style and flare for dramatics become even more evident. The music is seriously warped and totally danceable, filled with ‘80s-centric synths, booty beats, and lyrics about riding a mastodon to prom and battling an octopus. The indie rock/post-punk pretenses may be behind them, but the album is comprised of bristling energy. “I Started a Fire” and “Up All Night” are bombastic singles, while “Don’t Die Alone” and “Evaline” are sentimental power anthems for a digital age. ~ Jason Lymangrover