Warner
In 2020, American blues rock artist Gary Clark Jr won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Rock Song’ and ‘Best Rock Performance’ for ‘This Land‘, but his work is a blend of blues, rock, soul and hip hop, and his fourth studio album ‘JPEG RAW’ expands on his vast array of influences, merging Prince like pop-funk, jazz, African music and even a little country. The record features collaborations with both Stevie Wonder and George Clinton and samples of Thelonious Monk and Sonny Boy Williamson in song transitions, but the star of the show is Clark Jr’s fuzzy lead guitar. (Clark Jr was also the star of the show at Jeff Beck’s tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall last year, where he played Beck’s classic ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers’, and also makes a guest appearance playing ‘Crossroads’ on Slash’s upcoming album.)
There are plenty of big guitar riffs and soulful vocals throughout the record, starting with the catchy opening track ‘Maktub’ (Arabic for fate or destiny), which features a persistent, desert-blues guitar riff which Clark raps over, and then a silky solo. This is the beginning of the first of three segments. On the title track (JPEG RAW is an acronym: Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed…Rules, Alter Ego, Worlds), Clark Jr again deals with racism as he did on ‘This Land’, with lyrics such as: ‘My boy just can’t walk around in the store with the hoodie hoodie/ Thinking it’s all gravy, goodie goodie/ They gon’ be watching you like lookie lookie/ Trigger-happy cashier, damn rookie rookie.’ It’s a metaphor for reality versus the edited version. Blues purists will be happy with ‘Don’t Start,’ with Valerie June on vocals. ‘This is Who We Are’ is one of the highlights of the record, and has a progressive feel in places with a stunning guitar solo over synths, flute, oboe and bass, and a riff Charlie Burchill of Simple Minds would be proud of.
The second segment begins with a smooth, jazzy lullaby ‘To The End of Earth’, which channels Smokey Robinson. Next comes the R&B ballad ‘Alone Together’, laced with the warm trumpet tones of Keyon Harrold and a crisp falsetto vocal from Clark Jr. The pace picks up with the funky ‘What About the Children’, featuring and co-written by Stevie Wonder, who sings as well as playing his signature clavinet and harp. The final segment begins with the uplifting ‘Hearts in Retrograde’ and ‘Hyperwave’, where the voices of Clark Jr’s sisters, Shanan, Shawn and Savannah blend together beautifully in sibling harmony. The highlight of the George Clinton collaboration ‘Funk Witch U’ is Clark Jr’s guitar solo. Another ballad, the slow-building ‘Triumph’ precedes the final, 9 minute ‘Habits’, where Clark Jr’s guitar pyrotechnics roam freely beside earnest chants of ‘Come back, my lover’, and it imaginatively ends with the sound of an acoustic guitar. You can hear Clark Jr’s vulnerability, and he confessed in interview that he couldn’t get through a take without getting emotional. It reflects the meaning of the album title, which focuses on the reality of being human.
An artist who pays respect to his forbearers, but has a unique voice of his own, ‘JPEG RAW’ is an intriguing, refreshing listen and another step forward for the ever evolving Gary Clark Jr.
5/6 Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 22 March 2024