RECOMMENDED
Aside from boasting one of the few sentence-length band names that isn’t annoying to pronounce, Scotland’s We Were Promised Jetpacks also make relatively ear-grabbing pop/rock, occupying the space somewhere between Band of Horses’ echo chambers, Arcade Fire’s orchestral grandeur and Frightened Rabbit’s overt Scottishness. (In all seriousness, lead singer Adam Thompson’s noticeable accent provides a quirky trait no American band could fake.) The group’s newest EP, “The Last Place You’ll Look,” is a melancholy collection of tracks that become stirring, dramatic and cello-packed in all the right spots, swelling with ethereal guitars and sweeping strings. While Thompson’s mopey lyrics often come across as melodramatic—and maybe even a little passé at this point—ultimately his bandmates bail him out with tight delivery, action-packed rhythms and chiming riffs, making them a prime future candidate for a U2 opener. (Andy Seifert)
July 12, Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western, (773)276-3600, 9:30pm. $15.
Related Stories
- Way Beyond Cool: A Preview of Music Frozen Dancing at Empty Bottle Empty Bottle’s "Winter Block Party” is either absolutely insane, or brilliant staking out a currently-unoccupied bit of calendar for the years when global warming has turned our traditional music-festival months up to broiler-oven temps, leaving February as a warm reminder of what Chicago summers used to be.
- What’s Lost Is Profound: A Preview of Ryley Walker at The Empty Bottle Most of the tracks from Dave Matthews’ unreleased album have long been accessible online, and it’s revelatory to hear, for instance, Walker’s more nuanced take on “Grace Is Gone,” the rhythmic sophistication and jazz-infused sax line he brings to “Big Eyed Fish,” and his hauntingly beautiful vocals on “Grey Street."
- Riding a Wave of Buzz: A Preview of U.S. Girls at Empty Bottle This could be the last chance to catch indie contender Meghan Remy at a midsize club like the Bottle, as her growing buzz and sound will inevitably bring her to larger venues.
- Pop-Rock Redux: A Preview of Charly Bliss at Empty Bottle The story is, the band recorded its debut album twice: first as a scrappier indie-rock record, then two years later as a maximal pop statement attuned to the sound they’d honed on tour. They’ve edited their material into engulfing sing-alongs that’ll thrill audiences at small clubs (like the Empty Bottle this month), but that wouldn’t be out of place on…
