We Were Promised Jetpacks: ‘I Keep It Composed’
Moist mulch stuck to my pants, I shook Adam Thompson’s hand and told him how I had been a fan of his band for nearly five years. ‘These Four Walls’ was one of my favorite albums to this day, and We Were Promised Jetpacks was the only band I ended up seeing multiple times at SXSW. Unlike the first set I witnessed, the tone of the venue was far more relaxed, and I also had 360ยบ access to the stage. It was at this point I noticed there were five members to the band, not four. I kneeled stage left beside this mysterious gentleman as he set the tone on the keys.
Stuart Michael McGachan, listed on the band’s Facebook page as responsible for “(Guitar/Keyboard/Hair)” is the most recent addition to the Scottish four-piece, and the result is a natural evolution of their sound. Where ‘In The Pit of the Stomach’ took a darker tone from their previous garage-like simplicity, their latest singles ‘Safety in Numbers’ and ‘I Keep It Composed’ take the band to new atmospheric depths. McGachan is the much-needed multi-instrumental magician, adding a layer of complexity that seems to have rubbed off on the entire band. Thompson’s lyrics are sharper, more introspective, and the delivery more certain. With their third album “Unravelling” due out in October via Fat Cat Records, we may see WWPJ’s most complete effort to date. It’s not often that indie rock bands manage to surpass the raw sound of their first album, but WWPJ may have found the missing ingredient that will see them drop the ‘indie’ label all-together.
(Shout out to the rad folks over at Clash for premiering the single earlier today!)
BONUS!
Last month’s single, ‘Safety in Numbers’
