Album Review: Mystery Jets - 'Serotonin'

English party band Mystery Jets’ fourth album ‘Serotonin’ will pretty much win them the trophy for best Britpop band around at the moment. This is in huge part thanks to the fact that the record was produced by Chris Thomas, a man who has worked with The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Elton John, just to name a few. Thomas has polished the band’s sound but also led them down a path that has brought out some of the catchiest indie rock heard of late.

Opening track Alice Springs demonstrates the soft approach to the new music that the band has taken whilst still maintaining a dance feel. The Girl Is Gone is a floaty, atmospheric song that would make a good single thanks to its hooky chorus. The record falls flat in one area, the lyrics, which come across as having the least effort put into them. The lines are a little too “indie cliché” and old metaphors, that have been heard thousands of times, are used where clever new lines should be.

Standout tracks such as Show Me The Light and Lady Grey demonstrate how all of the instruments work together cohesively to provide the sound, rather than having one in particular at the forefront. The music does not stray too far from itself but instead of this seeming like a band with no variety, it come across more like a band who know what they want to do.

The album ends with Lorna Doone, the darkest sounding song on the record, during which the vocals take a more instrumental approach and provide a deep wail over a slow paced beat.

The best thing about ‘Serotonin’ is that it is pop music perfected, by using stand out melodies supported by well balanced music which makes for a very enjoyable listen all the way through.

1. Alice Springs

2. Too Late to Talk

3. The Girl is Gone

4. Flash a Hungry Smile

5. Serotonin

6. Show Me the Light

7. Dreaming of Another World

8. Lady Grey

9. Waiting on a Miracle

10. Melt

11. Lorna Doone