By Darren Grayer.
Mystery Jets release their first album since 2020’s A Billion Heartbeats next Friday (21 August) on Fiction Records. Titled A Hole To See The Sky Through, it is a reference to Yoko Ono’s minimalist artwork of the same name, and Ono herself has granted special permission for the band to feature the original artwork on the sleeve of the album.
To help promote the release, Mystery Jets have been out and about playing record shop in-stores and yesterday (Friday) evening saw them drop in at Southampton’s Vinilo.
With a healthy crowd gathered, the sudden sound of everyone’s phones receiving a government alert about the threat of wildfire, just as the band were about to make their way to their instruments, had folk wondering what was going on for a few seconds!
Starting with an older favourite, Serotonin, the title track from 2010 album of the same title quickly re-installs the calm and happy atmosphere, with the crowd singing along.
The title track from the new album then starts a three -song section that allows the audience to sample a taste of what to expect from it, and if they’re anything to place judgement on, then Mystery Jets are about to release work that stands strongly alongside the best parts of their previous output. Doomsday follows, and although they didn’t play latest single Flea Joint, all three tracks nicely showcase the band’s knack for producing rousing anthemic indie pop/rock with big choruses, with harmony driven vocals.
Lead singer Blaine Harrison takes a moment to show his delight at playing the in-store shows and how it’s a way of not just promoting the new songs but also celebrating independent record shops like Vinilo, who by the way, deserve credit for the amount of these events they put on. The intimacy of these shows is a fantastic way for artists and audiences to show their appreciation for each other.
The third new track previewed is Soul River, and Blaine explains how the band wanted to write something soulful. The song references the men’s ability to hide feelings and vulnerability and the importance of having friends around you.
I would suggest on first listen it may well be one of the highlights of the album, a beautiful slow burner that builds with stunning effect. Blaine Harrison’s brilliant vocal delivery aided by some wonderful backing vocals from guitarist Ollie Taylor, and his bass playing twin, Eddie.
Mystery Jets finish their six – song set with two old favourites, Bubblegum, from 2016 album Curve Of The Earth, and Two Doors Down, one of their biggest hits to date, from their second album, 2008s Twenty- One.
So twenty years after releasing their debut, Making Dens, Mystery Jets are about to release album number seven, and the signs are that it will please their long standing fan base and perhaps draw in some new listeners as they continue to put out music that is both rousing and relevant.
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