Jaguar Jonze - “SWALLOW"

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Florence & the Machine, Sleigh Bells, King Princess

Seven years past her sophomore independent record Black Cat, Jaguar Jonze has come out confident and pointed on 2022 album BUNNY MODE, an explosion of electro-rock loaded with pop melodies. There’s a punk-pop energy on BUNNY PUNK that’s a leap from the Australian artist’s earlier material, eschewing subtlety for big hooks and R&B-pop melodies. Part electro-pop and part alt-rock, Jaguar Jonze finds an accessible plane on BUNNY MODE as she bounces back and forth between aggressive, edgy synth-rock patterns and headier, dream-pop material. While mostly in-your-face, there are moments of mystery on BUNNY MODE where Jaguar Jonze is able to slink into a deep groove in a way that balances her sound with an expert touch. (Kevin McStravick)  

2020 Review: Driving alt rock, dream pop, and moody singer-songwriter material form the foundation of Jaguar Jonze’s sound, fully molded and personably performed over the course of the Australian artist’s first four singles. The latest is “Rabbit Hole” a slinking, synth/guitar track blended with subtle hints of chamber rock orchestration emboldening her dramatic and tense sound. She moves between a whisper and full rock/pop vocals across “Rabbit Hole”, an adventurous three minutes and a tight performance especially this early in her career. “Beijing Baby” finds Jonze in dreamy ballad territory, but rather than going pure folk-based, echoing, beachy riffs give the song depth and movement.