In the Pit of the Stomach
We Were Promised Jetpacks make their hotly anticipated return with a gripping new album, ‘In The Pit Of The Stomach’ that bears testimony to the poise, control, confidence and vigor the band now command. Signing off their debut ‘These Four Walls’ campaign with 'The Last Place You'll Look EP' in April 2010 – and a spectacular North American tour with Jimmy Eat World, We Were Promised Jetpacks decamped to Sigur Ros’ Sundlaugin Studios in the frozen wilds of Iceland to record the new record. “We had been touring the debut album extensively for over two years” says singer Adam, “So we were very excited to get back in the studio and record the follow-up, which we hope demonstrates how much we have progressed as a band.” The approach to recording was markedly different this time around, “We recorded the debut album in 8 days with one short tour under our belts - this time around we spent a full three weeks in the studio recording with [live sound engineer] Andrew Bush and made an album that both captures the sound of our live show and is strong start to finish.” Peter Katis (Frightened Rabbit, The National) was also on hand for mixing and additional production duties. Armed with the confidence built from their time on the road and firm ideas as to how the new record should sound, ‘In The Pit Of The Stomach’ is emphatically a sustained piece of work full of fiery, muscular and hugely atmospheric epics like (lead single) ‘Medicine’, ‘Picture Of Heath’ and ‘Human Error’ - and impresses with the sheer scale of it’s ambition. Post the release of their ‘These Four Walls’ debut in June 2009 (sales of which currently stand at 40,000 worldwide) the band have achieved huge success touring America and Europe, highlights of which include selling out New York’s Williamsburg Music Hall and attracting high-profile support slots for gold-selling US rock bands like Passion Pit and Jimmy Eat World. With thunderous live performances matching the power of fellow Scot’s Mogwai and a pop sensibility comparable to that of Foals or Bloc Party, ‘In The Pit Of The Stomach’ proves how WWPJ have stealthily become a fully-fledged rock band - louder, wilder, avidly literate, fiercely melodic, powerfully restrained.
The Scottish band brought to notice by Frightened Rabbit continues to aim for sky-scraping anthems on its second full-length, but it still seems weirdly stuck in place.
We Were Promised Jetpacks’ second album, In The Pit Of The Stomach, continues in the grand tradition of UK rockers following up sensational debut LPs with similar-sounding albums, only darker and louder. In 2009, These Four Walls propelled the band to the head of an already bright young class of Scottish acts, with…
Two years ago, We Were Promised Jetpacks' debuted with an insistence that repeatedly built to the epic. That promising…
Check out our album review of Artist's In the Pit of the Stomach on Rolling Stone.com.
On In the Pit of the Stomach, We Were Promised Jetpacks deliver songs that feel like a wallop to the gut.