Jaguar Sun’s Latest Album All We’ve Ever Known Makes Us Feel Like Everything is Going To Be Okay
By: Nadya Barghouty
Jaguar Sun’s latest album All We’ve Ever Known released on June 24 and it is a must-listen. Ontario-based artist Chris Minielly debuted as Jaguar Sun in 2018 and his debut, This Empty Town, arrived in 2020. The folksy, chilled-out follow-up record feels perfect for reflective summer days. While listening, I was repeatedly reminded of Beck’s 2014 Morning Phase, which radiates nostalgia and warmth; as if he captured the fading feeling you get when sunlight hits your skin. Jaguar Sun is able to capture that same feeling, while trading in the alternative rock genre for a dreamy pop soundscape.
The album begins with the twangy, higher energy “Out of My Mind.” Minielly sings, “I’m feeling off, feeling down, feeling uptight… I guess I’m lost out of touch… out of my mind.” This track has more pronounced percussion, even beginning with a drum board fill. Around the halfway point, a looping guitar melody takes over. This builds until the end, leaving us with another percussive outro. Relative to the rest of the album, this track is the only one that feels notably frustrated. “Out of My Mind” shows us that Jaguar Sun is much deeper than feel good “drive through the mountains” pop music.
With each track, Jaguar Sun creates intimate arrangements of beats and acoustic guitar. The constant layering of sound is done in a way that is anything but overwhelming. Kind of like a weighted blanket, with each added sound Jaguar Sun makes the listener even more comfortable. This is especially seen in the album’s looping ambient track “Interlude.” It’s hard to even tell what each sound is, especially when instruments like lyres are used. The unknowing adds to the hazy ethereal feeling.
Lastly, the album ends with the cathartic “Car Keys”––my personal favorite. Minielly’s soft vocals tell us to “not worry” and to “drive into the rain.” The track wavers back and forth between isolated vocals over acoustic strumming and loud, bright synth pop magic. “Car Keys” is the perfect balance of chill and high-energy reminiscent of classic indie pop bangers from bands like Chvrches and The Naked and Famous. Ambient synths and soothing vocals close out, and while Minielly begins the album “feeling off”, it seems as though he has come to terms with those feelings and is ready to face the day.
All We’ve Ever Known is the perfect mix of folk and bedroom pop that harks back to the early 2010s. Tracks like “This Year” feature slide guitar that flows, a vocal pulse, and sparkly ambiance, while “Take It Back” is more synth heavy but still maintains acoustic guitar at its core. We can tell this album truly was an act of love for Minielly and we can’t wait to play this album all summer. Everyone can benefit from some reassurance in the form of folk-synth pop.
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