After recently being signed to Fat Cat Records and touring the U.S. with stable mates The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, it could be said We Were Promised Jetpacks have been living in the shadow of their older more experienced siblings; however like restless malcontents filled with youthful verve and fresh ideas, they’re eager to stride forward and make their own mark, alongside their contemporaries.
‘It’s Thunder and it’s Lightning’
Opening with a twitching repetition of notes and understated riff, Adam Thomson’s rough rasp, fraught with trepidation relates a turbulent tale, rife with tumultuous subtext. Restless waves of jagged guitar augmented by delicate xylophone and distant pensive strings build then dip then build until the 2’42” mark as a furious release of noise and clatter burst forth like the titular Thunder, as Adam’s soaring howl tears through the serrated riffs and barrage of percussion (having witnessed his astonishing voice bellowing through The Solus Tent at Wickerman without aid of a microphone, it is truly something to behold), the continual screams of “Your body was black and blue…it struck twice it was nothing new”, seemingly hint at deep-seated domestic abuse, while “And there’s thunder and it’s lightning coming back home – I have to say goodnight, before your punching out my lights…I’m leaving.” underline the violent imagery put forth amid the maelstrom. Although it all clocks in at 4’51” it feels like a short, sharp shock as its abrasive edges drive home like an abusive punch, perpetuated by the frequently repeated refrain “Your body was black and blue…” reinforcing the traumatic episode.
‘Ships With Holes Will Sink’
Following in a similar vein to previous single ‘Quiet Little Voices’, quite loud dynamics interchange amongst restless riffs and prominent driven baselines before a coiled spring of energy is unleashed in a impatient torrent of emotion-once again centred around Adam’s gripping raw and emotive delivery. Although it could be classed as the more immediate offering of this double A-side, the opening lyrics “I think I died this time, stop for bullet holes and stab-wounds in my side” punctuated by staccato chords bursts and an overwhelmingly restless nature, doesn’t exactly smack of accessibility, so it’s left to the sheer vim and vigour of the performance and emphases on repetition “Make time for us, make time for us, Can’t even sing for words, You know I’m far too shameful…” to make sure that every lyric, note and sentiment is drilled into your psyche, leaving a long lasting impression.
Both tracks convey the intense feeling of being caught up in the vortex of We Were Promised Jetpacks live show, with no need for studio trickery or bombastic orchestration, the arresting raw power of the quartet attest to the likelihood of a bright future ahead.
It seems Fat Cat’s Celtic Trident can do no wrong, breaking from the confines of the Scottish music scene, tackling the world head on and taking it quite literally by storm.