We Were Promised Jetpacks -‘In the Pit Of The Stomach’ (Fat Cat)

Two years on from their rather fine (and IMHO rather underrated) debut These Four Walls, Edinburgh’s We Were Promised Jetpacks have returned with an album which shows them moving forward, without compromising what made them so exciting in the first place.

They certainly still have the ability to rock like bastards (I mean that in the best possible way) in a post-hardcore/emo sort of way, but now there is an aspect of post-rock (for want of a better term) entering the mix. Tracks like ‘Act On Impulse’ and ‘Hard To Remember’ see the two aspects combine to brilliant effect. Given that they recorded the album at Sigur Ros’ studio in the wilds of Iceland, it would appear that this has had an effect.

Hopefully by now you’ve heard the brilliant single ‘Medicine’ – it’s one of many excellent tracks here, my favourite may well be ‘Pear Tree’ which closes normal editions of the album. They’ve been bracketed in with the likes of Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit – both of whom they have played with- but while there may be similarities, it is clear that WWPJ are moving confidently in their own direction, and their fanbase must surely expand with this album.

****1/2

In The Pit Of The Stomach is out now on Fat Cat. The band play Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms on October 6 and Glasgow’s ABC on December 16.

To get a free download of the awesome ‘Act on Impulse’ go to their website