Brooklyn songwriter Brothertiger, also known by his alias John Jagos, released his third full-length album under the Brothertiger surname on Friday. Titled Out of Touch, the ten-song, synth-pop album is full of warm guitars, synths, drum machines, and welcoming vocals to make for a very easy-to-listen to album. Overall, the album does a fantastic job of covering a lot of the bases of blending indie and electronic successfully, similar to contemporaries like St. Lucia have done in recent years. After listening to it once, you’ll hear the album is full of hints and influences from soft rock and new wave artists of the 80s in songs like “Engulfed” and “Jungle Floor.”
Guitars have a much stronger presence in this album than what Brothertiger has included in past albums Future Splendors and Golden Years. Never overpowering, the guitar parts come in waves, and compliment the drumbeats and synths that make up the core foundations of most songs. The chorus and phase effects really take you on a dreamy trip through space, especially on songs such as “Beyond The Infinite” and “High Tide,” which is perfectly timed on the track listing as the album’s peak. The more relaxed musical theme of the album also allows Jagos to really showcase his vocal ability. Most of the songs really carry strong vocal performance mixed between layered choruses or strong single-track verse lines.
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The concept for the album was born out of Brothertiger’s desire to create an auditory journey through a metaphorical jungle of emotional states – from tribulation, despair, and fatigue to serenity, joy, and tranquility, and he achieves just that. He even takes aim at reaching the pop charts with a well-written song like “Wake,” which is set to make its way around the curated playlist circuit, which should do a good job of representing the album’s strong songwriting and blend of genres.
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Article: Tom Shackleford
