Birmingham dream-pop foursome JAWS release their first new music in over four years with a five track EP ‘If It Wasn’t For My Friends, Things Could Be Different` this month’.
`Are My Friends Alright?` leads us in and it`s a dreamy gentle reflection on those close to us who come through when we really need them. Vocalist Connor Schofield has said that he wrote the song after coming out of a long-term relationship and was a kind of a response to everyone that looked out for him during that time. There`s a faster pace to `Sweat` while retaining that melodic hypnotic texture. A number that singer Conner shared is about dealing with your anxiety in the moment, everything slowing down and trying to take it as it comes when in an overstimulating situation.
`Get Up` is another rhythmic offering but has vocals that sound fairly detached at times. The opening to `Maybe I`ll Do the Same Thing Tomorrow` sounds akin to Blur`s `Song 2` but that`s where the similarity ends. It`s a more robust offering and feels like a Summer driving song, one for cruising along with the windows wound down and the sound blasting out.
We close out with `Topofmyshull1a` which veers from a kind of racing punk like opening to a much more considered meditative musing, all in the space of one hundred and twenty seconds.
As a band from my hometown, I was wondering as to what was going on with JAWS so it was heartening to find they had some new music to offer and can only hope it`s a taster to a new album.
The band head out at the end of this month for a few live dates and i`m sure we`ll get a chance to hear some of these numbers in a live situation then.
Rating 8 /10
