A mature, eclectic mix of jangly indie pop, prog and art-rock.
Indie fans must be in their element right now, as the seemingly inexhaustible supply of distinctly British sounding, quirky pop-rock embodied by bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Ordinary Boys is still showing no signs of drying up; another band about to add themselves to the list are Mystery Jets.
Mystery Jets are an interesting band; aside from the fact that two of the five members are father and son, hailing from Eel Pie Island (the Bohemian stronghold in the middle of the Thames at Twickenham) they fuse jangly indie with elements of pyschedelia, prog and art-rock in their eclectic and highly anticipated full length release, 'Making Dens'.
Fans of the band will recognize previous singles, 'Alas Agnes', the pleasant, quirky jangle of 'You Can't Fool Me Dennis' and the catchy, up tempo intensity of 'The Boy Who Ran Away'; while tracks like 'Soluble in Air', a fantasia of pretty harmonies and twinkly accompaniments that diffuse through your consciousness in just the way that the title suggests, emphasize that this band are not simply a one-trick pony. Similarly, 'Horse Drawn Cart' is a particularly mature sounding song, with its poignant lyrics, picked acoustic guitar and sweet but somber tone.
Mystery Jets offer a slightly more mature musical approach compared to many of the bands in their genre, and your enjoyment of 'Making Dens' will certainly depend on your perspective. To someone who is not a fan of this style, the songs on this album can often feel rather repetitive and, dare I say it, a little whiny, as they lack the kind of catchy, quirky, instantly memorable punch of bands like The Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand that dominate the charts. But repeated listens do pay off, and while it might not be one for the casual indie listener, the emotional journey of highs and lows maturely, yet innocently depicted by 'Making Dens' will surely appeal to more die-hard NME-types.