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Jaguar Love

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What? It ain’t the Blood Brothers or Pretty Girls Make Graves, but for all those young budding fans who, depressingly, missed the post-hardcore boat these legends sailed way back in, like, 2006 — fear not! The same familiar faces are back and shockingly progressive without entirely abandoning their past. Take Me to the Sea, the debut long player from Seattle’s Jaguar Love, out on Matador Records Aug. 19, exhibits clearly matured musicianship, especially in the relatively tamed ex- Blood Brothers frontman Johnny Whitney. Opener “Highways Of Gold” showcases a more melodic Whitney than was evident on the Bros’ efforts, and tracks like “Jaguar Pirates” and “The Man With the Plastic Suns” are reminders of where these guys are coming from. Others, however — such as the catchy “Georgia” — explore the act’s adventurous side.

Who?: For more than a decade, Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato were members of the wildly reputable Seattle outfit the Blood Brothers, a band whose live energy translated perfectly on record and gained them a glut of devoted fans. As a member of Pretty Girls Make Graves, J Clark mastered the harmonic dichotomy of indie and pop, piecing together intelligently infectious tunes over the course of three albums. After each member’s respective band called it a day, Jaguar Love was born.

Fun Fact: There are only three members in Jaguar Love, so how are they going to pull off these radical tunes live on tour this summer and fall, you ask? Luckily, with help from Craig Bonich and Jessie Nelson, both on loan from power-pop sensation Head Automatica.

Now Hear This: “Bats Over The Pacific Ocean”(DOWNLOAD MP3)