I’ll preface this review with a disclaimer that for one reason or another I have never listened to We Were Promised Jetpacks, friends locally and especially overseas seem to be singing their praises, yet they’ve always passed me by, so, Unravelling, the band’s third album, is my first taste of WWPJ.
Album opener ‘Safety in Numbers’ doesn’t really grab you straight away, like a lot of tracks on the album, it has a few ‘big’ moments but in general feels underwhelming, similarly ‘Peaks and Troughs’ doesn’t really strike a chord, nothing too different here.
Then we get to ‘I Keep It Composed’, possibly the best track on the album, a well-structured, passionate song that bursts into a raucous indie-rock banger.
‘Night Terror’ is also another highlight, with vocalist Adam Thompson showing a real depth with both his vocal talents and lyrically, while ‘Disconnecting’ is a long and haunting track and ‘Ricochet’ is a great closer.
In general, Unravelling is a cohesive album, with some really great moments, the problem is that those are not regular or frequent enough for this to feel memorable or important.
While WWPJ are ahead of some of their contemporaries within the Scottish music scene, there are bands out there doing the same thing better, still, Unravelling is worth a listen and when it’s good, it’s really good.
Words: Nick Ramsey
Rave Child 