sarah told him to listen to the mystery jets...

album review >> the mystery jets >> serotonin

riding my bike through london in a mad dash to work, slowed by summer’s whirling winds, the light spitting rain and HGVs is a tough and dangerous task at the best of times. add to that my ipod beating my ear drums with the latest mystery jets album 'serotonin' and the dangers suddenly reach new levels. a lack of attention towards the heaving traffic is the obvious risk but the other problem with hearing a new album in such congested conditions is the threat of missing the best parts. turns out though, after one albeit rushed and background noise-filled listen, i've heard enough to want to race home and give it the time it deserves (minus the hazards of london roads).

'serotonin' is a good album. not great as some are suggesting but a good, upbeat, indie pop album. these chaps are obviously very comfortable with the music they're making right now and so they should be. heavily relying on the '80s for the basics of their sound, nearly every song takes interesting and unexpected twists and is backed with beach boys-inspired '60s harmonies. with my hands gripping my handle bars, i had no digital display to check the track names, so simply had to remember the basics and the things that struck me straight away: track one is a good intro to the album, track four is catchy, track seven is the stand out and it seems, most of the songs are about the loss of a girl or dizziness of drugs. off my bike and settled at my desk with said digital display in front of me (my ipod of course) i made some brief notes of the songs that really stood out, here’s what i discovered...

the first track 'alice springs' is a favourite, but also 'flash a hungry smile', 'show me the light' and the obvious yet excellent (and substance inspired) 'dreaming of another world'. title track 'serotonin' is another i could clearly recall (i initially put this down to the repeated cries of "sarah told him" - sarah told him what lads? get to the point - but it soon became clear they were indeed singing "serotonin"), but it's simply because it's a good electronically led song.

various influences include aforementioned synth based '80s pop, but also indie oldies the super furry animals and even a slight touch of more recent chord progression-based top 40 friendly acts. some lyrics are a little immature and obvious, especially in 'it's too late to talk' and 'the girl is gone', but perhaps this is the charm of this album. they're not trying to do a radiohead or take a new direction - this is pop, it's simple, it's memorable and it's an easy listen. the fact that there’s nothing too inventive or explorative here is something to appreciate at a time when so many bands panic in an attempt to challenge their fans two or three albums in. i'm hoping the simple and ear-pleasing basics of 'serotonin' keep me alert enough on my bike tonight so i can appreciate this masterful pop perfection in the comfort of my own home... go take a listen, but not on a bike.

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