Whilst we see glimpses of old JAWS working brilliantly, they’ve certainly matured! Beefing up their sound, the band showcase excellence in their songwriting, producing and performance.
The Birmingham four-piece have been on something of a hiatus and since their debut EP, The Ceiling, the world around them has shifted and changed immeasurably. That being said, the Midas touch that JAWS have isn’t lost — If It Wasn’t For My Friends… captures everything there is to love about the Brummies. Huge, alternative tunes are deeply cutting and personal at times whilst maintaining a euphoric sense of indie-glee through their instrumentation.
The tracks drive and groove, and it’s clear from the outset that JAWS have come on hugely in their time away. Get Up is a great example of this, where they show the old JAWS drenched in fuzz and feedback are lurking under the surface, but there is a distinct sense of growth and progression here. Their sound is more rounded and honed; these boys feel ready to take on something huge here.
Sweat is another high point, where the band wrestle with anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. The cut is driven by the JAWS’ huge rhythm section, and the bass and drums combine to make the number monumental in size — as the track heads to the bridge, it’s slowed down to a silent pause before the drums crash back in from leftfield.
The melancholy kicks up a notch with the penultimate cut, Maybe I’ll Do Something Tomorrow, where vocalist Connor Schofield ponders his age ‘I’m 29, I’ve got not no time, I can’t decide, I’m still lost’. Approaching thirty and the inherent anxiety it perpetuates is a key theme throughout the EP, as the band discuss and wrestle with their mortality. The closer, Top of My Skull is a really fantastic moment, where their fuzzy riff-rock collides head-on with JAWS’ more sensitive side.
The overall effort is fantastic here, JAWS harking back to their earlier days but with a thoroughly built up sound. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the Birmingham boys, as the sheer talent in this group is palpable — just don’t make us wait four years for the next new tracks please lads.
Words by Charlie Brock