Mystery Jets - Curve of the Earth

A long decade on since their jaunty debut Making Dens, London’s most underrated indie darlings Mystery Jets have finally come of age. Curve of the Earth sees the five piece return in a refreshing flourish of spacey prog rock, streets away from the classic Americana sound of their 2012 effort Radlands. Telomere kicks off the madness from a dizzying peak, Blaine Harrison’s charming vocals soaring over repetitive scratchy guitars before Bombay Blue brings in a calmer sound, with downbeat acoustic guitars and a catchy and enchanting chorus. Midnight’s Mirror is dystopian and eerie whilst Blood Red Balloon intersects foot-tapping verses with the Jets’ signature choral vocals, clocking in at almost seven minutes but keeping focus until the very end with oozing effects and humming synthesizers. In keeping with the record’s extra-terrestrial ethos, Saturnine rekindles the sense of experiencing some higher force as Harrison recalls some “distant star in two lovers’ eyes” before hypnotic guitar feedback and buzzing keyboards melt away into the sleepy percussion. “Won’t it be strange to see how we change when we’re all grown up? Yes I hope I end up with you”, Harrison croons on The End Up, closing a fantastically effervescent album with the sentimental, delicate touch it deserves.