Jaws

Photo credit: Sonic PR.

Not to be confused with the bond villain from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’,  JAWS (the band) are an indie-pop three piece from Birmingham who have recently released their first full-length record: Simplicity. Frontman Connor Schofield describes the offering as “the band’s most developed material to date”, and I’m inclined to agree with him. Listening to Be Slowly, brought out back in 2014, their follow-up work boasts a sonic complexity and lyrical maturity which touches on a number of musical identities – from the romantic Cure-esque tone of opening number I’m Just A Boy to the more conventional alternative indie rock of Right In Front Of Me, loaded with guitar riffs and reverb; sounding like Birmingham’s response to the band DIIV.

Without any big surprises, simplicity is perhaps an apt name for the album. Every track feels well-polished and calculated, and it comes as no surprise that the work was recorded and produced by Oliver Horton, the man behind The Foal’s What Went Down – which felt similarly textbook. Although it may be the band’s most developed material to date, there is still room to grow. JAWS is still a relatively new group, showing signs of impressive progress, trying to find its place in the English indie-rock scene. Their gig at Exeter’s Phoenix promises an upcoming band going from strength to strength.

I would recommend JAWS to fans of The Foals, Temples or DIIV.