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Critic Reviews
100
Truly, Gary Clark Jr. remains in a league of his own as he continues to pioneer a soulful and innovative post-genre sound with JPEG RAW, a record that should influence the course of popular music for decades to come.
2y
83
Perhaps JPEG RAW marks a new beginning for Clark. But across the album’s many shifts in style, one notion reverberates loudest: This generation’s preeminent bluesman was born to play the guitar, whether he likes it or not.
2y
80
JPEG RAW is both a musically dense snapshot of an American stoner dad just trying to focus in a world that allows for anything but, and an album that amalgamates an array of sounds, influences, riffs, and samples while still finding room for the searing guitar solos that made his reputation.
2y
i was listening to what about the children and i kept thinking this sounds like stevie wonder and then i looked over at the feature list and figured out why. good album tho
A step up from the last project. Rather enjoyed this record, loved the funk elements throughout. Lyrically on point.
Highlights: Maktub, JPEG RAW, To The End Of The Earth, Hyperwave, Funk Witch U, Habits
His voice, lyrics and melodies are just flawless, and it's really
impressive his ability to change from R&B/Soul to Rock between the tracks or sometimes even in the SAME track,
even the weakest songs are pleasant to listen, that's rare.
"Hearts In Retrograde" was the one for me <333
And the "Radio Edit" for "Habits" is A LOT BETTER than the long version
.
Maktub 10 *______*
JPEG RAW 7,1
Don’t Start (feat. Valerie June) 9,7
This Is Who We Are (feat. ... read more
A Stevie Wonder feature and it's STILL underrated.
JPEG RAW is a long acronym encompassing negative human attributes and how they work in the context of the surrounding world. I haven't taken a deep enough dive into the lyrics to fully understand how it applies to the album, but from what I can tell, I definitely feel it. I rarely listen to music that sounds like this, but I actually found this album to not feel out of place to my ears. It blends funky blues with R&B/soul in a ... read more
Through my entire listen i could see this had potential to be a great album but it went to a direction i didn't like so much. I like the features with Valerie June and Stevie Wonder, "What About The Children" is easily the best track here but i think he could do better with the sonority, some points were too boring or overdramatic imo idk. But it's closer to be a good album than a bad one, that's just my perception and i definitely understand if people like the album.
Gary Clark Jr. adeptly takes up the mantle of the guitar gods before him - Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Eric Clapton, perhaps even a modern revelation of The Black Keys. It's all on display here, even in what you could say are the weaker tracks, no song is skip-worthy. He is a top-tier talent through and through. This album is a joy and a triumph.
![小袋成彬 [Nariaki Obukuro] - Zatto](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/200x0/album/1161230-zatto_151808.jpg)
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Track List
| 1 | Maktub 4:13 | 81 |
| 2 | JPEG RAW 4:26 | 79 |
| 3 | Don't Start 3:03 feat. Valerie June | 71 |
| 4 | This Is Who We Are 5:31 feat. Naala | 78 |
| 5 | To The End Of The Earth 1:08 | 69 |
| 6 | Alone Together 4:30 feat. Keyon Harrold | 76 |
| 7 | What About The Children 4:39 feat. Stevie Wonder | 73 |
| 8 | Hearts In Retrograde 3:54 | 75 |
| 9 | Hyperwave 4:33 | 77 |
| 10 | Funk Witch U 4:19 feat. George Clinton | 75 |
| 11 | Triumph 4:41 | 78 |
| 12 | Habits 9:05 | 83 |
Total Length: 54 minutes
