We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls (Album)

Fat Cat Records - Out 15th June 2009

Fat Cat Records have this unearthly knack of coming north of the border and finding the golden nuggets in amongst all the silt and muck it's a trait that has giving us the wrenched emotion of Frightened Rabbit and the sonic eloquence of The Twilight Sad. On their most recent fact finding mission they stumbled across the wonderfully monikered We Were Promised Jetpacks whose raison d'être is to create cacophonous melodies that meld together fast-paced fierce musicality and high-brow literacy. So well done to Fat Cat first and foremost.

I first stumbled across We Were Promised Jetpacks a few years back when as an avid music student it was my right and expectation to snuff out truffles of musical delight but as you all know sometimes it's not the music that draws you in but; as in the case of We Were Promised Jetpacks, it's the name! Any band with a name such as this deserves at least the courtesy of a cursory listen and so I ventured into the murk of Glasgow venues such as Sleazy's and the 13th Note to hear what the fuss was about. The encounter was dynamite as live WWPJ are an assault to the senses none more so than my last dabble in them supporting Frightened Rabbit wherein the audience was enraptured and more raucous than for the headlining act which is no mean feat.

And so it was with great anticipation and fervour that I awaited their debut offering and finally it has arrived in the shape of 'These Four Walls', 47 minutes of exactly what has got WWPJ the acclaim and applause up and down the country. It's a dynamic album that exudes youthful exuberance and is aptly summed up by the title of the opening track 'It's Thunder And It's Lightning' as 'These Four Walls' is indeed thunder and lightning coursing through the music and the vocals of Adam Thompson (thankfully in full Scottish mode, thanks Adam).

Maybe it's just me but there sounds like a lot of fun to be had in the album it's full of mischievous hooks and to be honest I don't think I've heard a bass player sound like he's enjoyed the throb so much since The Stone Roses debut just check out 'Moving Clocks Run Slow' it's as if bass player Sean Smith is at the carnival playing away on the merry-go-round infact it's the track that really shows off the element of the band that has garnered them the praise as it's a track that contains a playful cheekiness all wrapped up in a seriously moody melody. Tracks such as single 'Quiet Little Voices' come at you with an immediacy that's quite striking as they tease out little fills before snapping the restraints and lunging forward engraining their less than quiet voices into your system.

For the full on WWPJ effect look no further than the 8 minute (oh go on then...) epic that is 'Keeping Warm' it's oddly enough like an amalgamation of their label/country mates Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad as we are once again treated to a gentle slow build that gradually spirals upwards fermenting into nothing and then Thompson strolls in "Chances of being born are so slim / So keep warm, So keep warm" and we begin again euphorically building as the melody fights to keep hold - all this for 8 minutes it's an absolute pleasure and never at any time do you wane or lose interest. And what better way to follow up that with an understated acoustic number 'An Almighty Thud' interspersed with the gentle sound of steam escaping as a medieval tale is woven intricately.

Acoustic is possibly an odd choice to end on as the album really does just bolt from the off as tracks 'Ships With Holes Will Sink' and 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' just never let up and the latter really does capture the post-punk ethos whilst seemingly taking no interest in it whatsoever preferring to tack on a freakish poppiness. Whilst 'Conductor' takes the shortened stance of 'Keeping Warm' (still at over 5 minutes) with it's creeping vibe that awaits the oncoming explosion, listen with headphones as there is an awful lot to take in and full credit to Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, David Bowie) and Paul Katis (Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad) who have woven an intricate web of sound through live recording might I add.

'A Half Built House' is the Fitter Happier of the album as it's central break-piece consisting of repeated numbers from the 1471 telephone lady that's played over cascading waves of reverb and effects before culminating in the crashing of waves and rumbles of thunder. And in 'Short Bursts' we get just that as the drums of Darren Lackie rattle in a constant militant style of short bursts whilst the rest of WWPJ create the noise and the threat of violence arises "So take your hands, Oh take your hands off my chest" ready, steady, fight.

'These Four Walls' is and adept debut that highlights the qualities of We Were Promised Jetpacks superbly it's jam-packed with taught musical delivery that's both thunderous and tender when necessary and a voice that bristles with raucous energy. Another band to add to Scotland's burgeoning reputation as the musical epicentre of the world? You bet!

Track-listing:
1. It's Thunder And It's Lightning
2. Ships With Holes Will Sink
3. Roll Up Your Sleeves
4. Conductor
5. Half A Built House
6. This Is My House, This Is My Home
7. Quiet Little Voices
8. Moving Clocks Run Slow
9. Short Bursts
10. Keeping Warm
11. An Almighty Thud

We Were Promised Jetpacks Are:
Adam Thompson (Vocals/Guitar)
Michael Palmer (Guitar)
Sean Smith (Bass)
Darren Lackie (Drums)

Tourdates:
09 Jun - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
10 Jun - Doghouse, Dundee
15 Jun - King Tuts, Glasgow
16 Jun - Night & Day, Mancester
17 Jun - Bodega, Nottingham
18 Jun - The Lexington, London
19 Jun - The Cockpit, Leeds
20 Jun - The End, Newcastle

FatCat Records : We Were Promised Jetpacks
We Were Promised Jetpacks on MySpace Music