Scotland’s We Were Promised Jetpacks emerged from the shadow of their FatCat label brethren with their sophomore record, In the Pit of the Stomach (QRO review), displaying more than ‘just’ an aptitude for Celtic tragedy. Unraveling moves even more, if not expanding their new sound, than at least further establishing it.
Tragedy still defines WWPJ, if no longer the brogue-inflected moors of labelmates Frightened Rabbit (QRO live review) & The Twilight Sad (QRO live review). WWPJ are more rocking and driving on songs such as “Peaks and Troughs”, “I Keep It Composed”, and “A Part of It”. There is still some of the Scots feel on “Peace Again”, but more notable are excursions such as the almost indietronic “Bright Minds”.
One might want more of the brogue, which is integrated particularly well on opener “Safety In Numbers” and closer “Ricochet”, to give the relatively level record more peaks and troughs of its own. But We Were Promised Jetpacks decidedly stand on their own two feet.
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Ricochet
