Review Summary: Take promise, baby/ Throw it in the sea/ Cause all the waves that come this way/ Wash your path to me
The Aussies are on a bit of a roll lately. From the sixties psychedelic soundscapes of Tame Impala to Empire of the Sun’s brand of shimmering glam-pop the worlds music listening populous have begun to associate the land down under less with barbecues and more with quality music. Sydneysiders, Jagwar Ma intend on continuing this trend with what they call a unique brand of ‘Madchester-dance-triptronica’. Hmmm. If there has been ever an excuse to take copious amounts of illicit drugs to create a new genre, Jagwar Ma’s debut long play has gotta be it.
Oasis’ very own Noel Gallagher stated earlier this year that ‘The future of the galaxy depends on the Temples and Jagwar Ma records,’ so naturally at this point I should point out the albums faults and claim how it clearly isn’t the savior of todays ebbing music culture. However, this time I am bound by the elders of music to refrain from such an unlawful action. In brief, what Jagwar Ma has created is an astoundingly brilliant piece of modern dance music.
The opening track, 'What Love' serves as the perfect appetiser to the trippy sounds that follow, a short lyrical refrain rolls through the tracks four minutes, where a simple buzzing analog synthesiser and syncopated handclaps meld into wafting vocal harmonies. This brilliance is expanded on the sophomore track, 'Uncertainty' where warm production and a genius cyclical chorus combine to create something that resembles the Stone Roses via. Star trek. Unwilling to settle for a particular sound, Howlin’ is diverse as it is concise. 'Four' sees the band experiment with late-nineties house, while the following track 'Let Her Go' is an addictive earworm that wallows in a simple acoustic sixties vibe. Despite the gloominess of some track titles (Come Save Me, That Loneliness), Howlin' sustains an incredibly optimistic tone, encouraging the listener to invert the mundaneness of life into the carefree.
Regardless of the plaudits that other critics and I have piled on Jagwar Ma’s achievement, todays popular music culture is a parallel universe that will pay little attention to Howlin’s magnificence. Yes, 'Man I Need' with its acid-house synths and euphoric vocals is easily one of the best songs released this year, yes, every track is a danceable hooky gem with lyrical integrity(!) and yes, the whole album was recorded with just a Fender Jaguar, a laptop and a pair of analogue consoles, but frankly few will care. So rejoice in the fact that you have found the greatest album of 2013 and shake those Maraca’s like it’s the nineties all over again.
