ALBUM REVIEW: The Jagaloons’ Forbidden Words, now on vinyl
“Forbidden Words has all the hallmarks of classic surf rock – twangy guitar riffs, uptempo beats, a healthy dose of reverb – along with a few atmospheric, lower-key songs in the mix.”
You might not expect an album with such sunny, bleached-out tunes as the ones recorded for Forbidden Words to come from a trio based in Upstate New York – Albany, no less – but The Jagaloons are proof you can live on the East Coast and still embody the California surf rock spirit. Upstate locals reading this will need something bright and shimmery to listen to in the next few weeks as winter closes in, which makes the timing for the album’s vinyl release earlier last month just right.
Forbidden Words has all the hallmarks of classic surf rock – twangy guitar riffs, uptempo beats, a healthy dose of reverb – along with a few atmospheric, lower-key songs in the mix. The majority of the track titles themselves bring to mind 1960s tiki bars and beach parties, including “Soggy Bottoms”, “Red Sunrise”, and “The Rising Surf”. Still, there’s something undeniably contemporary about the album’s sound, too. The title track, “Forbidden Words,” as well as “Ghost of the Sargasso” contain some punkier elements that separate The Jagaloons from simply parroting the traditional Dick Dale or Link Wray brand of surf.
All the music on the album is instrumental, which makes listening front to back easy and natural since the tracks flow pretty seamlessly one after the other. The album is also versatile in a lot of different contexts: it’s fun and danceable enough to make the listener want to see it played live, while also being chill enough to work or study to. (I let it play all the way through a few times with headphones in while cleaning the house and it was a perfect soundtrack.) That kind of versatility is no easy thing to achieve, and for that aspect alone I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something upbeat with a bit of a punk edge to it. Appreciating an album in its fullness is a bit of a dying art these days, but that’s just my two cents.
The album’s cover art by Stephen Blickenstaff has a bit of the old Rat Fink-style to it, featuring a crazed looking character grinning an evil smile and dipping shrunken heads into a bubbling cauldron of guitar-neck soup. If you’ve ever seen the album Junkyard by The Birthday Party or Firme by Voodoo Glow Skulls, Blickenstaff’s character would feel right at home amongst those creepy little demon guys.
Forbidden Words is made up of 11 original tracks and three covers. A personal favorite among their cover choices is The Go-Go’s 1980s hit, “Vacation”, which they place as their final track; a very fun note to end on. If you’ve been enjoying these tracks digitally since their Spring release, now’s your chance to grab them on vinyl.
Released on vinyl by Tabu Recordings. Album mastering by Dave Klein (Agent Orange, The Ghastly Ones). You can watch the music video for “Forbidden Words,” directed by Yasir Kahn and edited by Bryan Moak, here. Find the band on Spotify or Instagram at @thejagaloonsny.
