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Live Review: STREAM: Mystery Jets 'Radlands'

8 May 2012 | 12:00 pm | Staff Writer

Our writer has a massive crush on Blaine, but don't let that colour your opinion - have a listen to The Mystery Jets' new album yourself.

Ever since the British indie four piece released “Young Love”, I feel like I have been secretly waiting for a knock at the door. That one time Blaine and I locked eyes obviously meant nothing to him....

Bitter and cold inside, I still loved MYSTERY JETS like a hungry model watches a fat kid monger down a chocolate cake. And to that note, the day Radlands was released, it could rain, my dress could blow up in front of my hot neighbour, I could even have stepped in dog poop and I would still have a smile ear to ear.

Radlands is the long awaited fourth album that MYSTERY JETS has put out,  and the 87,000+ kids who have liked their post delivering that news on facebook are just as happy are just as happy as I am!  After playing SXSW, the boys took some time off in the US to escape their London town, just like many other great muso’s do. Blaine said, “They needed a little bit of time to escape and focus on the music.” And sure thing, they produced a killer album.

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Pre-released by the boys to their fans for streaming through their website, the response was phenomenal. Most squealed with joy through comments, flairing a five star rating. You know something good is happening.

It starts pretty deep and mellow, sharing some southwest Texan blues. “You Had Me At Hello” is for those fans of When Harry Met Sally. “Greatest Hits,” “Take Me Where the Roses Grow” and “The Hale Bop” are my favourites showcasing true MYSTERY JETS style. Fun, catchy indie pop is what we know and love about the boys and don’t worry there is some great tracks on Radlands that prove they’ve still got their charm.

“Radlands” is true MYSTERY JETS fashion. It’s no wonder this is their title record. There are clear undertones of the sweet American south underlined by deep electric guitar blues to support eerie lyrics of passion. "Until hell freezes over" is just one example of the deep resonating dark tones that surface throughout the song.

When I first listened to “The Hale Bop” I was appropriately in a small Australian town called Hale. I don’t know if that was what me fall in love with this incredibly catchy tune. Scissor Sister-esque squeals and rhythmically sequenced fun hand claps, there’s no further fruity song to go by.

“Lost in Austin” is a bittersweet tune that could appropriately fit in a film just after the climax point where the protagonist has faced the odds and now will gain some ballls and defy the odds. It starts off very lovely, nearly even girly, then transitions into a male driven killer rock song. Even I got my slow groove head bang on, whilst in my car, to happily scare the person in the car next to me. Quite amusing..

“Greatest Hits” starts off by sounding identical to Stealer Wheeler’s “Stuck in the Middle” and I knew something good was happening. Think Sunday drive meets song of love, fun pop and unexpected funky add ins like an “oooo” and a downspiral guitar rift then ever the token tambourine. It’s a case of how many things can we put into one song, and with a great history in the music industry, of course they pull it off!

Fingers crossed the boys come out again and bring the album on tour. It is bound to happen as Blaine is still yet to grace my front door.

Words by Mikayla Couch.