Well on his way to being the king of synth-pop, John Jagos a.k.a. Brothertiger, has struck another electronic chord with his latest release Future Splendors. Think peaceful and melodic tunes, sprinkled with futuristic beats and all tied together with Jagos' pleading vocals, and then maybe you’ll have half a sense of what to expect from the album.
Making music all by one’s lonesome may seem like it’s more difficult but for some artists, and Jagos is definitely one of them, it gives an opportunity for something truly original to shine. Jagos’ synth-pop beats are not overwhelming, they’re relaxing but at the same time bubbly and warm. Brothertiger came about in 2009 during Jagos’ freshman year at Ohio University. As a live performer in the Athens house party scene, Jagos began to gain a reputation for his sparkling and melodic beats. The music has been pouring out of Jagos throughout the past few years with his first full-length release Golden Years in 2012 and now 2013’s Future Splendors which was released October 8 on Mush Records.
Though the album sticks to what Jagos has built a reputation for, bubbly beats, that doesn’t mean Future Splendors lacks any kind of musical intelligence. “Crazy Again” pairs danceable melodies with a more hectic beat and intelligent lyrics while “In Mind” is more catchy pop perfection. And the rest of the album kind of carries on like that: more in-depth and intelligent songs that make you think balanced out with sunny pop beats that just make you want to dance.
Jagos' voice has a youthful playfulness to it that works very well with Future Splendors and all Brothertiger releases prior. Though it’s very clear that this is a whole bunch of talent smashed into one album, Brothertiger’s music isn’t for everyone. Many of the songs on the album are put together in such an intricate way that they really require your complete attention to fully appreciate. But for anyone who can appreciate elaborate melodies and bouncing, synthesized beats, is definitely worth a few listens.
It’s got a hip, chilled out sound that is perfect since Brothertiger is now based out of the ever-so-hipster-friendly Brooklyn. Future Splendors could definitely be spun all night at one of Brooklyn’s hottest clubs. The album’s title track is everything great about Brothertiger mashed up into one delightful dance number. Jagos croons over a beat that sounds like something you might hear at a rave in the mid-'90s.
While some tracks definitely stood out more than others like “In Mind,” “You Should Know,” and “Future Splendors,” the album as a whole is quite brilliant. It’s emotionally driven and lyrically smart while at the same time completely danceable. - In Your Speakers |
1XLP/Out Of Print