When the duo of Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers first broke through with their debut album as Sacred Paws, audiences were naturally drawn to their incandescent riffs and rhythms. This energetic merging of post-punk, indie-pop and highlife was only accentuated by their seamless partnership, which leapt out at anyone listening to or watching the pair. The album, Strike a Match, went on to win the Scottish Album of the Year Award in 2017 and their following release in 2019 Run Around The Sun cemented their capabilities as both individual musicians in their own right and as a steadfast unit.
More than five years on, both Aggs and Rodgers are back together as Sacred Paws with Jump Into Life, an album that has not only been well worth the wait but also, a clear indicator of the benefits of having an incubation period and what happens when artists are intentional in slowing down the process in order to get the best results.
The album opens deceptively with solemn, legato strings on ‘Save Something’, before Aggs’ characteristically punchy fretwork makes an arrival, followed by Rodgers’ always animated percussion. It’s as if the pair are lulling you into a false sense of comfort and peace, before affirming their homecoming and their return to their distinctive, buoyant sound. But the song’s skittish time signature as well as the celebratory fanfare at the end points to a feeling of added richness and colour, which is further amplified by the tenderness of the lyrics – an element that signals their overall growth, musically and even personally.
In a similar vein, ‘Another Day’, with its nods to country music, highlights a broadening of their range, with a lively banjo (played by Aggs’ father) and fiddle adding a playful touch to a song essentially about heartbreak. Likewise, ‘Through The Dark’ is about the process of overcoming sadness but with guitar melodies that leap around exuberantly, offering some semblance of hope and catharsis. The vocal hook also contributes to this, with the echo effect almost giving the impression of screaming into the void, especially when the pair sing “tumbling through the dark again”.
Overall, the vocal interplay between Aggs and Rodgers throughout further draws attention to their strong dynamic. ‘Simple Feeling’, for example, is underpinned by their blend of Afrobeats and post-punk zeal but the flowing harmonies are mellow and mild, giving the track its optimistic edge. ‘Ask Myself’, meanwhile, features a bubbly counterpoint in the vocals where we get two distinct parts that eventually meet in the middle, accompanied by a bold blast of horns. Title track ‘Jump Into Life’ similarly has a prominent brass presence but its the musical weaving of the horns and the sunny disposition of the vocals that give it its properly triumphant ambience.
Jump Into Life is uncompromising in giving us that trademark upbeat and joyously frantic Sacred Paws sound but in its additional textures and layered levels of meaning, there’s a maturity and freshness that feels like a step forward for the duo. Five years can seem like a lifetime when it comes to the wait between projects but often, it’s exactly what is needed for a truly fruitful and efficacious incubation period.
