In the three years since their last album, Germany's Jaguwar have become the best band you might not be listening to. Yet. Gold, out now via Tapete, is a shimmering, punchy epic. The group's brand of pop-punk is a special thing, and far more people need to be aware of these players.
"Monuments" has an ache and windswept sheen like Eighties New Wave heroes, even as "Battles" and other cuts here punch far above their weight class, serving up punk that's bright and melodic. Elsewhere, "St. Lucia Island" marries a Muse-like sense of prog-inspired power with a furtive sense of the emotive. It's Rush meets Garbage, or something. Jaguwar work so well together that the tracks have a kind of symbiotic vibe that gives them an extra rush. Of course, it doesn't hurt that nearly all of this is radio-friendly in the way that indie in the Nineties was, like that of My Chemical Romance, Placebo, and Paramore. Closer "Glam and Gloom" is a good example of how all those influences can be blended with a deft touch, for example. Jaguwar continue to put their own stamp on this stuff, while refining their own particular brand.
Gold is out now via Tapete.
More details on Jaguwar via the band's Facebook page.
[Photo: Maks Pallas]