Review: Electric Jaguar Baby ‘Clair-Obscur’
Parisian garage-fuzz two-piece Electric Jaguar Babyreturn after a three-year absence with Clair-Obscur, their first release for Majestic Mountain Records. It follows Psychic Death Safari, an album I enjoyed the shit out of back in 2022, so much so that, if my memory serves me right, it almost cracked my year-end list. Their garage/stoner rumble scratches a very particular itch for me, so I was excited to see this new record appear in The Sleeping Shaman’s promo portal.
Not surprisingly, Clair-Obscur opens strong, with a snappy snare roll, which promptly introduces the massive, behind-the-beat stomp of Heroine – a fuzzed-out, head-nodding opener if there ever was one. Tonally massive, yet completely catchy, the track also features guest vocals from Chris Babalis Jr. from Athens doom metal stalwarts Acid Mammoth.
Wasting no time, Electric Jaguar Baby’s vocalist/percussionist Franck drops into a pounding rhythm as Bring Me Down showcases the Queens of the Stone Age influence that’s run through their career, particularly during the verses. The rest of the song occupies a garage-psych charge that deftly propels it along, providing a perfect counterbalance to those QOTSA-esque moments. Additionally, Bring Me Down also boasts another guest artist in Lo, aka Patrón, formerly of Loading Data.
Next up, Stray From The Path is an awesome, fuzzy, catchy, throwback to the best of early ‘90s, lo-fi grunge, with an earworm, melancholic chorus that will have any listener of a certain age reminiscing to their early twenties. They show their quirky side with the garage-bounce and ‘oooohhh’ QOTSA-ish vocal stylings of My Way. In fact, this whole track occupies that same crazy, yet melodic rock ‘n’ roll swagger that Josh Homme’s band of alt-rock pirates have routinely displayed, but played way heavier, and as if shot through a European rock lens.
One of the coolest tracks I’ve heard all year is Going Thru The Blue II – a distorted, lo-fi, garage/psyche basher of the highest order. Franck and guitarist/vocalist Tony truly unleash the rumble with this monster, with the former taking the spotlight while executing a clinic in Bill Wardian swing and behind‑the‑beat, crash‑and‑bash power of the highest order.
I’d be remiss not to mention the wall of fuzz, shred, and spacey rock ‘n’ roll vocals that keep the track flowing. It’s one of those cuts that wears out your repeat function, rewarding each listen with another vocal snarl, cymbal crash, or riff that was initially buried in the haze. And that’s before you even get to the trippy rhythmic breakdown in the middle. All of this, and we’ve barely hit the halfway mark of the album.
about as perfect a blend of garage rock, stoner rock, and heavy psych as I’ve encountered in some time…
The title track, Clair‑Obscur, positioned as the album’s centerpiece, is a massive garage‑fuzz basher that’s also a bit rough on the ears. With all eleven tracks recorded live, there’s a raw charm to the record – but also a fair bit of crackling, lo‑fi distortion. On my first few listens, I actually stopped the song to check my connections, thinking something was wrong with my iPod. But no, Clair‑Obscur is just that dirty, that unrestrained, and, if I’m being honest, that fucking rock ’n’ roll.
The Fastest Ride promptly drifts back into the desert‑rock/QOTSA lane the band love to drive down. As always, when Electric Jaguar Baby leans into their familiar Homme‑isms, they summon a weight and heaviness that Queens of the Stone Age haven’t managed in a good decade and a half.
Hitting the home stretch, Anything teases some jazz flair initially, before quickly morphing into a fun, mid-tempo, stoner/grunge affair that boasts a snotty, soaring chorus. The awesomely titled Winter Holiday VS Fuzzroutine is an up-and-at ‘em, head-nodding rocker with a huge main riff and another addictive chorus. It’s yet another example of the twosome’s uncanny ability to meld garage fuzz with a melodic, yet dangerous vocal approach.
The penultimate How Now is a gargantuan, soaring, psychedelic rock ’n’ roll fuzz‑fest. The fantastically titled closer The Oswald Cobblepot Complex(Oswald Cobblepot being The Batman villain The Penguin’s real name, for those who aren’t comic nerds like myself) turns into a watery, spacey garage‑psych trip‑out that feels like a fitting end to this colossus of an album. Naturally, the duo can’t resist kicking it up a notch into distorted rock ’n’ roll weirdness one last time before Clair‑Obscur reaches its conclusion.
If I was to find a gripe, I suppose it would be the longer‑than‑usual spacing between songs on Clair‑Obscur – possibly due to being recorded live in the studio? That statement in itself is ridiculous, as part of what makes it such a fantastic heavy rock album is the fact they recorded it live in the studio, crackles and all.
For my ears, this is about as perfect a blend of garage rock, stoner rock, and heavy psych as I’ve encountered in some time. The fact that Electric Jaguar Baby have achieved this level of brilliance with only two guys speaks not only of their talent but to their shared rock ’n’ roll vision. They sat just outside my year‑end list three years ago, but this time, it feels like they’ve kicked the door clean off its hinges. Highly recommended.
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
