Jaws – The Ceiling

When JAWS returned with second album ‘Simplicity’, it was an introduction to a bold and beefier sound. Drenched in spiralling psychedelic flights and carving their own world out of the shadows that came with their debut, it was a life-affirming next step that stood them apart from the rest as a band very much nailing where they wanted to be. It’s no surprise then, that ‘The Ceiling’ comes with that sense of evolution once again, building on the dazzling surroundings created before but this time with an almighty kick and fever that perfectly combines the fizzes and fury that make up Jaws in 2019.

Whereas ‘Simplicity’ was indebted to a phenomenal sound, ‘The Ceiling’ plays around with things a bit more – sounding like what would come from sitting at a dinner table with Basement, Bombay Bicycle Club and Real Lies. Through post-rock, indie and bubbling late-night club, it’s a winning combination that feels distinctly fresh yet familiar at the same time. The swooning and infectious hooks of ‘Feel’ and ‘Patience’ sound like fresh cuts from early 10s discos, while ‘Do You Remember?’ and ‘End Of The World’ morph into punchy releases of heavy euphoria. Things may seem darker, but that grittiness gives ‘The Ceiling’ a jolt that runs throughout. The jumps between full-on power and eye-opening vulnerability in ‘Please Be Kind’ and the push for electronic moves in ‘Fear’ all point towards a band more sure of themselves and sharper than ever before.

Writing the next chapter in their own manner, ‘The Ceiling’ is another sign that Jaws are a band you can never push into one lane – with a sound the band have been promising and pointing to since the very beginning.

Jamie Muir