Mystery Jets – Curve of the Earth

“Won’t it be strange to see how we change when we’re all grown up?” croons singer and frontman Blaine Harrison over the warm synth and atmospheric guitar of The End Up, one of nine select tracks that have made it onto indie veterans Mystery Jets’ fifth studio album, Curve of the Earth. It’s a perceptive, and introspective, statement considering how the band’s sound has changed and matured over the decade or so that they have been recognised as part of the UK indie scene.

Certainly, this is a masterfully produced collection of tracks that moves away from the band’s earlier works. Gone is the Americana of 2012’s Radlands and there are more nods to 70s prog or psychedelia (Harrison lists Pink Floyd and King Crimson as key influences) than the 00s indie pop that launched them into the public eye alongside groups like The Cribs. Although there are elements of this earlier sound to be found in the shoegaze riffs and quintessentially indie chorus of Bombay Blue, reverb heavy hooks, synthy keyboard and wistful vocals are the order of the day, especially on stand-out tracks Bubblegum and Blood Red Balloon.

In a recent interview Harrison said “The best music has to be personal”, and the themes of loss, yearning and growth that are present throughout the album must resonate with the band, for there is a real depth of feeling present from start to finish. Be it in the punching chords of Taken by the Tide or the darkly dreamy vocals of Midnight’s Mirror, Curve of the Earth provides a candid snapshot into how the Mystery Jets have grown during their career as a performing group.

This idea of growth and musical experimentation is one that Harrison and co have clearly taken to heart over the years. It’s impressive that, in an environment where many 00s indie mainstays are happy to roll out albums that stick to a tried-and-tested formula, the Mystery Jets are confident in experimenting (look only to the airy prog journey that constitutes Saturnine for an example). Despite a departure from their indie roots, fans will enjoy this effort from a band that are clearly “all grown up”.

Thomas Davidson

Curve Of The Earth is released on 15^th January 2016, for further information or to order the album visit here.

Watch the video for Telomere here: