Beloved Austinite and four-time Grammy award-winning artist Gary Clark Jr. has established a name for himself in the past decade as a talented guitarist and singer who uniquely blends blues, rock and hip hop. In his fourth studio album JPEG RAW, Clark continues to build off this reputation with vulnerable lyrics, great featured artists and amazing guitar riffs.
Released on Friday, JPEG RAW, a 12-track album, stands for “Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed, Rules, Alter-Ego, Worlds.” The album navigates through a healing rollercoaster of emotions. It starts off with uneasy songs, transitions to a slowed down and reflective sound and ends on a more positive and accepting note, making it like listening to a story throughout.
The first third of the album contains angsty songs, opening with the track “Maktub” featuring an upbeat guitar riff that carries throughout. The opener’s lines, “It’s time to deal with this trauma,” allude to the idea that the song’s character has problems to face and to the album’s hopeful ending. The fourth track, “This Is Who We Are (feat. Naala),” stands out with its rock-and-choral-fused introduction and its passionate declaration of someone walking “through rain and fire” for their desires. The passionate lyrics make room for the album’s transition into the next four reflective songs.
The second third of the album features slowed-down rhythms and guests such as trumpeter Keyon Harrold and Stevie Wonder on two separate songs. Tracks four, five and six paint a cinematic love story on their own: the fourth suggests someone laying down everything to be with someone; the fifth “To the End of the Earth” is a rich acoustic track, asking to have someone forever; and the sixth “Alone Together (feat. Keyon Harrold)” details a person working out their relationship issues.
The final third of the album starts off strong and positively with “Hyperwave” and ends perfectly with two of the album’s best entries. The penultimate track “Triumph” offers encouragement, telling listeners to turn their “tragedy to triumph.” The final song “Habits” slows down for nine minutes with the speaker asking a loved one to stay with them through their worst times. In this song, Clark displays the idea of someone having worked out their issues and healed themselves, trying to convince their loved one to stay with them after everything. This proves a great way to end the cinematic album because it returns to uncertainty despite the character’s growth, making it a raw and realistic story.
Overall, Gary Clark Jr.’s JPEG RAW tells a beautiful and relatable story of overcoming trauma. His vulnerable lyrics blend with his blues-rock style to make for a meaningful release from the Austinite.
4 ½ shooting stars out of 5
