The thing about being an author that causes me the most aggravation might surprise you; it’s not querying agents or requesting permission to quote song lyrics or managing social media… it’s being asked to put my stories in a genre box. I don’t write genres… I write stories.
Gary Clark Jr. knows what I’m talking about.
From the first notes of his superb 2012 major-label debut Blak And Blu Clark has steadfastly refused to remain within the boundaries of a genre, mixing blues with hard rock with hip-hop with jazz with psychedelia with soul and r&b and gospel. No stylistic cage could ever hold him, precisely because he appears to view them as cages; Clark’s songwriting ranges all over the musical map, frequently within the same song. A lot of the time, as a listener, your challenge is simply to keep up.
This feels more true than ever with his fourth studio album for Warner, JPEG RAW. Opener “Maktub” establishes the vibe immediately, a kaleidoscopic gumbo of blues, heavy funk, gospel and hip-hop influences, a driving, grooving tirade that oozes flair but becomes almost overwhelming at times.
On the heels of this explosion of styles, the title track follows with a singy-songy lounge-jazz approach that feels designed to underscore the truth of this album: to Clark, music is an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord, and he’s got a hefty appetite. Then “Don’t Start” plows into your ears with a blast of heavy funk-rock featuring guest vocals from Valerie June, before guest Naala joins the party for “This Is Who We Are,” an even bigger and more grinding blues-rock number interspersed with a thundering hip-hop cadence.
Naturally, the next track (“To The End Of The Earth”) is a 1:09 fragment of a lounge blues with just Clark’s guitar and vocal. Because he can, folks; because he can.
The collaborations accelerate in both frequency and impact through the middle section of the album. First the jazzy, sensual “Alone Together” features Keyon Harrold on trumpet as Clark stages an easygoing falsetto seduction. “What About The Children” then features Stevie Wonder on a slice of classicist soul-funk that wouldn’t have been out of place on Innervisions and gives both men a chance to get down in style. A definite highlight.
“Hearts In Retrograde” returns to the heavy soul-funk on a number co-written by and featuring the core of Clark’s band: Zapata on guitar, Elijah Ford on bass, and JJ Johnson on drums (Jon Deas frequently features on keys as well). The well-named “Hyperwave” then delves into driving psych-rock with blues undertones, before another A-list guest sticks his head in the door. “Funk Witch U” brings George Clinton on board for a late-night come-on that’s effortlessly smooth and groovy, with heavy guitar breaks interpolating with George and Gary’s overlapping, dreamy dialogue. It’s exceedingly cool and absolutely funky.
Saving the best for last, Clark closes strong. First comes “Triumph,” a personal, intense song advising a younger person not to give up; it somehow manages to feel both heavily programmed and organic, because Clark’s vocals and guitar are so raw (heh) and in your face, while also featuring a solid chorus hook that delivers genuine uplift. Closer “Habits” is an outright opus, a 9:05 multi-segment suite. The first 3:17 is a lilting, soulful, intense and seemingly complete meditation on self-discipline. At the false ending, Clark busts out into an anthemic, ecstatic guitar-and-gospel-chorus fanfare that evolves to an extended, circular, intricately picked sequence. The latter grows and builds into a cycle of call and answer between Clark and the background chorus (“Come back my love”) to around 5:40, at which point everything begins to accelerate, picking up fresh textures and leading up to a climactic jam and denouement.
It's fresh as fresh can be, and thoroughly unclassifiable.
Like its name, JPEG RAW is determinedly offbeat and stubbornly unique, iconoclastic and fiercely proud of it. To this listener’s ears, it's too unfocused to be a great album, though it contains some great performances and at least two or three great songs. What it definitely is, is a ride, and if it’s a ride to your liking, you may rate this even higher. I’m cool with that.