Jacques Rocque - Mamihlapinatapai - Tape (2012)

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Review by: James Williams

This is the latest release from Detroit/Rochester MI screamo band Jaques Rocque. It
collects their first two EP’s and plonks them on one handy tape. There’s sometimes
fuzzy, sometimes mathy and sometimes lightly plucked guitar. The drums are really
well played, fitting in with the spazzy nature of the music, the bass rumbles and with
the mixture of lightly spoken word vocals and piercing screams, there’s a lot to take
in. It’s not straightforward listening, but I don’t think Jacques Rocque were ever
going for that anyway. Think what would happen if The Dillinger Escape Plan kicked
out most of their members and replaced them with dudes from Thursday and The
Mars Volta and this is what you’d get, most probably. In parts abstract and crazy, yet
harnessing an absolute beauty as well. The tape even comes in a handmade, recycled
seven-inch case!