Scenestar

ARTICLE BY CHERYL CHENG

FEB. 26 | WEST HOLLYWOOD—If you haven’t heard of We Were Promised Jetpacks, you probably will soon. Currently on tour in support of debut album These Four Walls, WWPJ performed to a sold-out Troubadour audience tonight, many of whom already memorized the lyrics of that album. The Scots appear to be on the cusp of a meteoric rise, having only performed once before in the U.S. as an opener to Fat Cat label mates Frightened Rabbit, and now enjoying headlining status.

The band themselves appeared humbled and extremely appreciative of the turnout. “Thank you for coming to see our wee band,” said singer Adam Thompson. “We’re miles from home … and we aren’t quite sure what to expect.” But WWPJ is certainly a band worth seeing live. For songs such as “Quiet Little Voices,” which boasts a wailing shout, and “Roll Up Your Sleeves,” during which drummer Darren Lackie keeps impeccable timing, the album recording simply does not convey the same emotional impact as the live experience.

“It’s Thunder and It’s Lighting,” which begins somewhat quietly and slowly builds up, roared through the venue like its own storm. The rafters above shook as the audience stomped along. When Thompson sings mid-way, “Your body was black and blue,” giving way to a jam session among the band, the song comes alive. No wonder it’s the track whose name is used on the WWPJ T-shirts being sold tonight.

Thompson periodically moves away from the microphone or covers it with his hand, at times preferring the natural effect of just singing at the top of his lungs. It reminded me of the album title, These Four Walls, and trying to escape from the barriers that are imposed upon us. Symbolically, it seemed as though Thompson could escape these walls by merely singing.

WWPJ managed to record a tour-only EP, The Last Place You’ll Look, which features subdued, quieter versions of Four Walls tracks “Short Bursts” and “This is My House, This is My Home.” The piano-driven version of “Home” is nice enough, and the EP does showcase another side of the band, but really, Last Place You’ll Look serves only as a supplement for the proper album. It’s for die-hard fans, who will want the three new tracks on the EP, “A Far Cry,” “The Walls Are Wearing Thin” and “With the Benefit of Hindsight.”

From the handwritten text on the CD covers to the modest mannerisms of the band members, WWPJ is the opposite of pretension. Meanwhile, the band has crafted music that is distinctly Scottish—you can hear Thompson’s Scottish brogue throughout—yet uniquely its own. The set was only an hour long, with no encore, though the hopeful continued to shout, “Jetpacks!” Despite the short set—the band has only one full-length album after all—it was clear that these Scots had given the performance their all. I’m looking forward to the next time WWPJ comes to town, and it will likely be at a bigger venue.