On “King Kong,” Jax Duo Jawberry Unleashes a Monster Mashup of Indie, Grunge and Hip Hop

The latest from Jawberry, the collab project from local indies Huan (aka Juan Mallorca) and Rockbot Studios owner Josh Cobb, “King Kong” mashes up prominent ‘90s guitar-slack-and-hip-hop styles into three-minutes of casually retro-vibed, upbeat rock, with a riff that is maybe one chord from a “Smells Like Teen Spirit” lawsuit. A minor sin, considering the legion of songwriters that have made careers off a Beatles chord progression.

Thankfully, Huan and Cobb replace that chord with Pavement-style “woo hoo hoo” backing vocals and rap braggadocio that plays out more like beachside sunshine than Seattle grunge-rain. If you really like ‘90s rock, or were just a mad gleam in a future rap-metal bassist’s eye when that storied decade was in full effect, Jawberry have enough charm to offer a good primer for now-and-then listening pleasures.