Drove my Chevy to the levee... and found the Mystery Jets (OMG!)

On Thursday 8th, the Chevrolet Spark Unscheduled Tour kicked off on schedule (a-ho-ho-ho) at London's Vinyl Factory. The tour, which was some kind of promotion for Chevrolet judging by the name and the liberal placement of various 'Chevys' around the venue, was headlined by Eel Pie Islanders The Mystery Jets. If I'm being honest, this was the first I'd heard of them since the release of their second album, Twenty One, over two years ago, but according to the band themselves they have a third due out in July.
On their debut, The Mystery Jets created some fine ramshackle indie pop, with a few proggy inflections. They fitted into a vibrant and productive scene, sometimes known as Thamesbeat, but were one of the few bands to emerge unscathed and un-imploded, ready to release their second album, a father-less effort that this time took its cues from the '80s, with the high-gloss production on singles such as Two Doors Down,  ensuring considerable radio airplay.
When the band took the stage on Thursday, the visible grip of the '80s remained, with all four members resembling Duran Duran after a five day bender, all big suits and wonderful shirts. Their live sound inevitably retained little of the sheen of their records however, but the eternally catchy hooks of older songs such as Half in Love With Elizabeth, Flakes and Young Love ensured the crowd were in fine voice throughout, even inducing some into a spot of crowd-surfing. Four new songs were given an airing, including Bounce and Serotonin, all of which fitted into the set well. One (which i didn't catch the name of) was a particularly sweet, slow arms-in-the-air number, the kind that you can imagine becoming a future live favourite, and the summer festivals will surely treat them kindly, helped by the timely arrival of their third album, which is sure to be a success on the back of what was witnessed in the Vinyl Factory.



Check out their Myspace for updates and tour dates