ALBUM REVIEW: Jaws ‘Be Slowly’

Birmingham's latest plucky young upstarts revitalise the B-Town scene

As Peace move towards a change of style – and not a good one – and Swim Deep seem to have slipped out of the public eye, that revered ol’ ‘B-Town’ scene finds itself with a new flag bearer. Sure, they’ve been showing off their ultimate chill tunes for a good year now, feeding off the success of their city cousins. Now though, it’s very much their time, and with Be Slowly they could slowly be the new indie kings of the second city.

As seems to be the case in the age of SoundCloud, much of Be Slowly will already be well-known to Jaws aficionados. That said, Connor Schofield and his happy-go-lucky crew have struck a fine balance between adored fan favourites and fresh new vibes. Opener ‘Time’ will evoke memories of the dreamy early tracks of Swim Deep’s 2013 Where the Heaven Are We debut, with its light drum-dominated intro eventually ceding to bouncy guitars and bubbling bass lines. Schofield’s vocals instantly ooze swag as Jaws waste no time in casting their enchanting spell over your ears – and minds.

An already established fan – and critic – favourite comes early in the shape of ‘Gold’, by far Be Slowly’s most uplifting, rousing moment. Sailing through the verses with typical Jaws cool, it crescendos stunningly into its sparkling sing-along chorus: “Take me where the gold drips from the sun to my back”.  It’s sure to cause (a very friendly) riot when they head out on tour shortly. The same can be said of the snappy, jangling title track – there will be dancing, bad perhaps, but it will come.

Though all eleven tracks on ‘Be Slowly’ seem to assume very similar identities, there are just about enough exciting, unexpected little tweaks throughout to keep its appeal from waning. Eighth track in ‘Filth’ errs to the slower side of Jaws’ usual path. Full of soft cymbal stroking and soothing, strung-out harmonies, it is chilled personified – what these four do best.

In spite of the numerous promising new gems exhibited by Jaws on their maiden long player, it’s hard to see – or hear – past penultimate track ‘Surround You’ as the ultimate highlight. One of their earliest singles, it undulates between synth-fuelled highs and smooth vocal harmonies. “Let the wind blow through your hair, send me crazy with your stare, let the water surround you, yeah” sings Schofield with a level of blissful laziness that ties in superbly with the group’s trademark baggy attire and untamed mops of hair.

Jaws’ debut will struggle to come close to the levels of success of their fellow Brummies’ first outings, but there’s sufficient pizazz here to expand their fan base beyond the dedicated hardcore they have at present. They could scatter a little more wow-inducing oomph here and there but Jaws have got enough bite to make this record a joyous, fulfilling experience.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock

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