Jaguar Love, 'Take Me to the Sea'

Backstory: Out of the ashes of the Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves, an indie-punk supergroup is born. Can the two sounds they created—hyperactive noise and arty post-punk—co-exist?
 
Why you should care: Yes, the two sounds can co-exist…and mesh into something new. The more melodic side has won out on “Take Me to the Sea”—outside of Johnny Whitney’s helium-level shriek, the songs here wouldn’t be out of place on any (good) rock radio station. “Highways of Love” has a garage-rock stomp, the organ-drenched “Georgia” features an early ‘70s Stones vibe, and the thundering “Antoine and Birdskull” shows why the band was a good fit to open for Queens of the Stone Age.
 
Verdict: The sum here is greater than the parts—although Whitney’s vocals remain a love-it-or-hate-it proposition.
 
X-Factor: Gotta love the U.K. press—one critic across the pond described Whitney’s singing style as “Robert Plant on steroids, or Perry Farrell after a sex change.” It was, apparently, a compliment.

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