Q Magazine Track of The Day 24/02/2009

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices

Many record labels promote themselves as having a familial set-up; nurturing young bands through their first steps in the music business. Over the past few years, though, FatCat Records have taken the template to another level. A few years ago, their A&R men snapped up a Kilsyth three-piece, The Twilight Sad. They promptly shipped them out to America, rightly anticipating the positive reaction frontman James Graham's broad Scottish brogue would gain from audiences out there. Their debut album, Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters drew huge critical acclaim as the dust settle on 2007. So what did FatCat do? Why, sign their best mates of course.

Said best mates - and frequent touring buddies - Frightened Rabbit repeated the trick last year with their exceptional second album, The Midnight Organ Fight. The record scored highly in several end-of-year-lists and earned the band praise from the likes of Biffy Clyro, Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie, who invited Frightened Rabbit to support them on their European tour late last year. Which leads us to today's track by We Were Promised Jetpacks.

Born in Edinburgh, based in Glasgow and friends of Frightened Rabbit, WWPJ were the next addition to FatCat's now burgeoning Scottish stable after the keen-eyed label noticed them whilst perusing FR's MySpace friend-list. They accompanied Death Cab for a number of dates on the aforementioned tour and have been whipping up their own little storm of hype ever since. WWJP will be releasing their as yet untitled debut album in May of this year. Whether they will repeat the success of their compatriots and stable-mates remains to be seen, but the early signs are extremely promising.

Comparisons with Franz Ferdinand are flattering but not hyperbolic, as demonstrated by today's track, Quiet Little Voices. It's a blistering post-punk anthem of the highest pedigree: powerful and tuneful in just the right measures, with lead singer Adam Thompson's understated vocals keeping proceedings in check just as they threaten to spiral out of control. It's a definite statement of intent ahead of the band's upcoming SXSW debut and a spring album release expected.

Video: We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices (live)

Originally published here: http://news.q4music.com/2009/02/we_were_promised_jet_packs.html