On the Turntable: We Were Promised Jetpacks

Genre: Indie Rock

My opinion: Reach new heights with a band whose musical and lyrical talent defy gravity.

I could hear the sound of my brother’s electric guitar amplifier reverberating through the floorboards in his bedroom above the living room, where I was lying on the couch. So much for napping during winter break. My brother, who is currently a high school senior, has been involved with music for much of his life and plays lead guitar for one of the two bands in which he is involved.

At the end of this month, he will be performing in a “battle of the bands” type of competition at our high school. Mildly intrigued as to what he was playing (and also mildly annoyed, I will admit), I went upstairs to investigate.

“We Were Promised Jetpacks” he said, swiveling around in his desk chair to face me.

Similar to my brother’s band, We Were Promised Jetpacks, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based band comprised of four friends, entered a “battle of the bands contest” when they were in high school, back in 2003. The band won, and went on playing sets around their hometown before moving to Glasgow to launch their music career. We Were Promised Jetpacks toured North America in 2009 and 2010, and opened for Jimmy Eat World, after which their popularity steadily increased in the states, leading to the featuring of their song, “Quiet Little Voices” in the 2011 comedy film “Hall Pass.” starring Owen Wilson.

This hard-rocking band combines their full-bodied sound with incredibly insightful lyrics, such as those found in their song, “Keeping Warm,” from the album “These Four Walls:”

The chances of being born are so slim,
So keep warm
So keep warm.
And take some heart
In being born
At quite so young
You can learn to talk
and learn to walk
In your own time
You’re so young.

After hearing the song, my life felt so validated: it truly opened my eyes to a perspective on life I had never considered before, making for excellent rock. While they might not have received the jetpacks they were promised, We Were Promised Jetpacks definitely holds up their end of the deal as musicians when providing an above-and-beyond music experience for their listeners.

“Quiet Little Voices” by We Were Promised Jetpacks

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