Jump Into Life

It took some doing for Sacred Paws to get their third album, Jump Into Life, up and running. Between COVID-19, stalled writing sessions, and the passage of time, it was six long years between releases for the duo. The wait was worth it though, because the record is just as buoyant, fresh, joyous, and sunny as their first two. Its also their most confident and hook-forward record, too, with the choruses shining like sparklers on a summer night. Its not much of a stretch from their previous releases since they had already cornered the market on brightness with a sound that swirled post-punk angularity, Afropop grooves, and luminous indie pop vocals together. It might have made sense for this album to shift away from their core sound, but instead they leap headfirst into it, giving the drums extra punch, the guitars more jangle, and the vocals yet more prominence. To the duos already perfect sound, they add chirping horn sections, the occasional keyboard flourish, and on one song, guitarist Ray Aggs dad on banjo. The whole thing might seem too darn cheerful -- maybe to a fault to the more hard-hearted -- but the duo rescue themselves from overload thanks to the muscular energy they impart to the rhythm section, the whipping bite of Aggs guitar lines, and the overall forward drive the duo employ on every song. There are also a few moments of upbeat melancholy that creep in, like on "Winter," where Aggs and drummer Eilidh Rodgers vocals swoon quietly, the strings swoop in comfortingly, and the listener can take a deep breath before plunging back into the fun and frolic of songs like the bounding title track or any one of the giddy gems that make up the records bulk. Add to that one beautifully aching, lovelorn jangle ballad ("Fall for You") and the bands most vibrant and empowering track yet ("Jump Into Life") and the result is another near-perfect pop album by two musicians who deserve all the flowers for making music as truly positive and warm as this. ~ Tim Sendra