Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams | A-

     Jaguar Love singer Johnny Whitney definitely has the benefit of having a voice that sounds like his band's name. The former Blood Brothers co-founder, along with ex-Pretty Girls Make Graves member Cody Votolato, took the best elements of their respective bands and released an indie-rock fused album in 2008's Take Me to the Sea. Two years later — and minus several members — the band's sound has changed drastically for their second release for Matador Records, Hologram Jams.
     Right out of the gate, it's obvious the boys in Jaguar Love were not looking to sound like just another indie-rock band. The opening squeal of Whitney's vocals on "I Started a Fire" dives into a techno-fused pop anthem. The album is laced with drum machine beats, giving a catchy if not artificial feel to the album. The intentionally '80s sound and production tracks like "Cherry Soda" and "Sad Parade" is unapologetic. Other tracks like "Jaguar Warriors" and "Piece of my Heart," however, are exceedingly repetitive and don't offer much more than the bulk of the tracks.
     But it would be harsh to judge the album on two duds because Hologram Jams is such an exercise in experimentation. A bass-thumping pop song like "Polaroids and Red Wine" couldn't be envisioned if the band had stayed the same path they had begun with Take Me to the Sea. Jams is a great signifier that both Whitney and Votolato's days of being associated with their former bands are over.