WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS - UNRAVELLING

What started out as just a four piece band from Edinburgh performing their first gig back in 2003 at their schools 'battle of the bands' , which they won by the way, quickly elevated and became so much more for the Scottish indie rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks. 

"Unravelling" to many is a mature, coming of age album that shows a completely different side to a band who have been looking to grow into the more developed act that they are now. Not only is the album an example of great success to most, but it's a spanner in the works for fans of their old sound because of their now more sophisticated style of playing which leaves old indie kids wondering; what ever happened to the boys who recorded These Four Walls back in 2009? As a longtime fan of WWPJ, I myself prefer older tracks such as It's Thunder and It's Lightening and Quiet Little Voices as opposed to the more trend fitting, radio friendly songs being recorded now.

As we all know, the cycle of fashion and the cycle of music and so on all end up being regurgitated and finding themselves back in the eyes of a newer generation every so often. the 80s and 90s are clashing across the nation right now with a fresh wave of youths experimenting and dabbling with bits and pieces from both eras. Something that seems to be very in is the old sound of electro pop. This is something I noticed We Were Promised Jetpacks buying into almost instantly when first listening to the album. Not only did I feel this way but I also felt that they were playing into the hands of experimenting with a more soft indie grunge sound at times. This is indie for the hipsters of indie.

Safety In Numbers fades in with a keyboard loop that sounds like a Motorola ringtone. Very much a friendly reminder of Depeche Mode. The vocals sound like a Scottish fusion of trying to be Brandon Flowers and Alex Turner whilst unfortunately not living up to the aforementioned artists. Besides these criticisms, the song is actually enjoyable. The instrumental picks up while the singing stays monotone which adds both good contrast and an ease to enjoy the backing track and singing separately, focusing on the song for it's musical depth rather than just hearing a stramash of instruments and lyrics being flung at you all the while being underproduced like you hear from many good artists with potential these days.

Peaks And Troughs are where it's at for me on the new album. It's that old key sound that I love to hear. The bassline and guitar carries a good partnership keeping it calm before the storm that awakes not long after the halfway point of the song. The volume feels louder, the piano is soothing yet able to build a climatic atmosphere and finally when we hear the melodic riffs and rumbling drum fills, we know we are at the peak of an exceptional track. This is a number to indulge yourself in.

I Keep It Composed somewhat reminds me of One From The Road from Arctic Monkeys' AM. The song sounds like it could pass as a hit from bands such as Kings Of Leon. The bassline is funky, the drumbeat is hypnotic and the guitars trendy indie overdrive makes for good listening. Not the old We Were Promised Jetpacks but a nice mature sound.

For fans who have been around We Were Promised Jetpacks for at least a good few years, this will be a hit or miss situation. Much like Marmite, you will either love it or hate it. There are definitely some peak tracks on Unravelling such as the mentioned Peaks And Troughs, Peace Sign,  Bright Minds and Moral Compass.

There's enough material that I enjoy to rate this a confident must have yet there's still a feeling of discontent due to what feels like a true to their word band with moral values selling out. Bands do need to progress and mature, that much is true. However, it sometimes does come as shock horror when a band with a good sound change almost completely. Go ahead and give it a listen, see if you agree.

You can purchase Unravelling by We Were Promised Jetpacks right here!
You can find all releases on the FatCat Records store!

Find this review also over at Backstage Pass! (I guest blog for them!)

Until next time folks, to infinity and beyond!

What did you think of Unravelling? Did you either love it or hate it? Do you hold an opinion on the album? Whatever it may be, post it in the comments!