Mystery Jets – Curve Of The Earth

Let's just see where they go from here...

It’s a testament to the saying ‘time flies…’ to consider that Mystery Jets’ debut – the Dexys-flecked alt-pop classic ‘Making Dens’ – was released a decade ago. From throwing riotous boat parties on their Eel Pie Island abode to using kitchen utensils as percussion, the young band grew to craft some of their finest nuggets over the following decade. They matured on ‘Twenty One’, introducing the world to a rising Laura Marling on the timeless ‘Young Love’, and have since honed their sound to encapsulate their King Crimson influences as much as their love of a straight up three minute pop blast.

While most of the bands they came up with are currently reforming and readying new albums (Bloc Party, The Coral) Mystery Jets simply went away and built their own studio, quietly mixing ‘Curve Of The Earth’ in a former button factory.

And here it is. Opening with ‘Talomere’, the album instantly feels like a phase two for the Jets. A grandiose and (dare we say it) Radiohead-esque opener – indeed, the Oxford band’s influence can be heard throughout – the track then segues into the downbeat ‘Bombay Blue’. Possible future single ‘Bubblegum’ is a step up, all sashaying synth lines and crisp production. There’s still experimentation, as with every Mystery Jets album, but overall album number six finds them moving on from their quirky past.

Again embracing soft rock and Americana (as on ‘Radlands’), ‘Curve Of The Earth’ however glimmers with a production sheen that’s more Space Rock than Laurel Canyon, and it’s clearly also a very personal album lyrically. Their British influences are also evident, ‘Saturnine’ sounding like a hybrid of Lennon and Brian Wilson, whilst ‘Blood Red Balloon’ echoes the late Syd Barret. ‘Midnights Mirror’, opening with a snippet of David Thwelis’ character from 1993 film Naked, takes on a dark, dubby direction, before the chorus flips the entire song, exposing a catchy, soaring mid-section.

So, the Jets have left the earth that inhabited ‘You Can’t Fool Me Dennis’ for new climes. And though their debut will always be a fan favourite, it’s 2016, and here we have ‘Curve Of The Earth’. It’s the balance of maturity and melody that will keep you going back to this album. They’ve grown up, but then so have their fans. Let's just see where they go from here.

7/10

Words: Clarke Geddes

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Related: In Conversation – Mystery Jets

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