published: 28 /
1 /
2008
Label:
Pop Noodle Records
Format: CD
Excellent 80's influenced second album of synth pop from Age of Jets, who since releasing their debut album in 2004 have moved from their native Yorkshire to Osaka, Japan
Review
Age of Jets, along with their synths and imaginative approach to music making, came kicking and screaming out of the depths of Yorkshire a few years ago in 2004 with their debut release, ‘Go Go Gadget Pop’, which was released on Damaged Goods. Since the release of that record, the band has upped sticks and moved to where most people eager to get out of Yorkshire end up – Osaka, Japan.
A wise move some would say. Listening to their electro style sounds which immerse you in a cyber-like techno-filled world you can imagine them fitting right into the modern technology-obsessed Japanese way of life. ‘Robot Boy’ is the stand out track here which has a very 80’s-feeling keyboard-led tune and vocals which seem like they could very well come from a robot rather than a human, all of which is quite fitting really.
Throughout the rest of the album there is a much more human feel to the vocals, which is heavily influenced by early 80’s acts such as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears etc. It is very controlled and deliberately sparse singing which at times is almost spoken.
They have some pleasant-layered keyboard and synthesizer sounds woven into many of the songs, which for me help it a long a lot, rather than just sounding overly static and mathmatical in their delivery. You get much more of a feeling of people being behind this music, with actual feeling, not just a few machine and buttons all set to go off at various intervals.
‘Castrol GTX’ kicks of the album in a particularly cynical and quirky way, swinging between the relevant and the irreverent. It is all very strange and hard to know what to take as being serious and what to take as tongue in cheek. Either way it all fits together well. This approach to the lyrics would maybe liken them to acts such as Daft Punk or Air.
The majority of the songs are a bit less full-on and fast, but on the few songs that are more up tempo the Jets really shine. I’d love to hear more still of these faster elements in their music. More and more bands are embracing the synths and keys that seemed to die out during the very early 90’s, more and more bands like Age of Jets are emerging and coming out on top.
In true punk/indie fashion rather than following fads or cashing in on what’s ‘new’ here’s a group that have stuck to their style and luckily the rest of the world is catching up again.
Track Listing:-
1
Castrol GTX
2
Beep Command
3
Vocoder 4 Human
4
Virus
5
Blackest Skies
6
Robot Boy
7
Fighting Like Tigers
8
Music By Numbers
9
Brooding