Jagwar Ma - Every Now & Then

Rating:

The Australian trio’s second album presents them at their boldest, brightest, and most bombastic yet.

In the three years since they released their debut album, Jagwar Ma have made the world their oyster. The Sydney outfit (having recorded in France and now living in London) have brought their infectious dance floor fillers to life on seemingly every side of the world. Second album ‘Every Now & Then’ is a crowning document of that.

Following the Madchester-saturated vibes of ‘Howlin’’, ‘Every Now & Then’ takes the group’s already iconic sound and transforms it into something stratospheric. Vastly inspired by performing live and the endless places their music has taken them to, the Australian trio’s second album presents them at their boldest, brightest, and most bombastic yet.

Much like the first record, this too is crafted with the intention of keeping bodies moving. Baggy rhythms and all-engulfing melodies are the driving appeal, whilst universal sentiments of escapism and yearning bleed through the lyrics with an innately natural pull. “Just say what you feel” the album’s opening chorus lyrics echo over twinkling refrains. On this new record, Jagwar Ma are following their instincts wherever they may flow – and the result is sensational.

With its rejuvenating energy and made up “amoeba” dance routine, ‘Give Me A Reason’ is a daydream at its most elated. ‘Loose Ends’ meanders through attraction towards exhilarating freedom, whilst ‘Slipping’ is melancholy at its most danceable, building rhythms and gracefully gliding sonics the most potent of ways to shake your worries away.

‘Say What You Feel’ is perhaps the most similar to the songs we’ve all heard before – bridging the gap between the old and the new. But it’s on tracks like ‘Colours Of Paradise’ that outfit really shine. With heavenly promises and melodies that reach out and kiss the sky, the track pirouettes and outright raves its way towards euphoria.

It’s a vibrant, varied, and intensely textured tapestry Jagwar Ma weave through their music, a vehicle ready to transport them to brand new heights – along with anyone else who wants to cling on for the ride. Jess Goodman