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Sep 16, 2021 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

Glasgow indie rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks have been honing their craft since the release of their debut album in 2009. Four albums later this sound has evolved from the raw and nervy, yet captivating, early beginnings into a duality of glimmering and catchy guitar leads atop a cavernous and brooding wall of sound. A decidedly winning combination.

But We Were Promised Jetpacks aren’t content to rest on the laurels of this newfound resonance though, as a few tracks on Enjoy the View show their willingness to keep tweaking and experimenting with their sound. Case in point is “Don’t Hold Your Breath For Too Long” and the spectacular singles “If It Happens” and “Fat Chance” that boast of polished arrangements and pop hooks which create a perfect maelstrom of pop rock.

Conceived while the band were in pandemic lockdown one might expect the aura of the new album to be dark and restrictive. But while the album does retain some remnants of the band’s early catharsis, it’s more controlled and refined and not wrapped quite as tight. This gives the tracks room to breathe and allows the band to include resounding crescendos with echoing, spiraling guitar lines and leaner, cleaner rhythms while retaining the passion the band are known for.

Hopefully fans will not be put off by the subdued, slow-burning opener “Not Me Anymore,” and instead embrace this as a preface to how We Were Promised Jetpacks have advanced their songwriting prowess to include a marvelous mix of sublime dreaminess and smart atmospheric rock. Meanwhile, tracks such as “All That Glittered” and “I Wish You Well” include plenty of the brooding indie rock that fans love and always seems to draw comparisons to fellow Scots Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad.

Overall, the frothy melodies, spiraling guitar riffs, and catchy refrains of this newfound aesthetic suits the band well and make Enjoy the View one of the year’s more stimulating aural experiences. (www.wewerepromisedjetpacks.com)

Author rating: 8/10