We Were Promised Jetpacks. - In The Pit Of The Stomach

Not a lot to say about this one. If you heard WWPJ debut album, you heard a plucky Scottish band playing post-punk rock with thick Scottish accents. Basically the same thing here. This album is decidedly heavier than the last. Darrin Lackie, especially, who has seem to have taken a page from Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys. Faster, heavier.

Quite unlike the Monkeys, though- WWPJ take themselves über-seriously. And while Alex Turner would play with a clean guitar tone to keep it bouncy, and to give space for his mile-a-minute lyrics; WWPJ crack the guitars to buzzsaw levels. It makes the end result sound less post-punk and more post-grunge. Like Bush, but faster.

The odd part is the sameness of most every song. I actually looked at my computer player at one point to see if a song was skipping. Sixteenth notes played constantly, rarely changing chords whatsoever. And Adam Thompson's vocals do not evoke any counter melody either. Monotoned tunes with monotoned vocals undermixed behind the rev of grunge guitars. Not bad, just uninspiring. The closer, "Pear Tree", is a standout amongst the others. If only because shows somewhat uniqueness against the remainder of the album. (2.5 of 5 stars)