Album Of The Week: The Ceiling — JAWS
JAWS have finally released their third album and Sophia Bonner thinks it is close to perfection. Do you agree? Read what she has to say below and let us know.
Finally, the time has arrived for JAWS to release their third album. The hype on social media surrounding the Birmingham-based four-piece has only been increasing over the last few years, and it has been a treat to watch them flourish. With the celebration and critical acclaim surrounding the band, JAWS’ have finally released their long awaited third studio album, ‘The Ceiling’, which is something close to perfection.
The album opens with ‘Driving At Night’, the first single the group released last year. It was a strong start to the project, a sign that this third studio album was going to be something special. As always, the track almost completely repeats the same guitar melody throughout, with Connor’s tender vocals complementing the lyrics.
Running with the upbeat keyboard melodies, Jaws continue with ‘Feel’, a somewhat indie-pop track, similar to tracks such as ‘Be Slowly’ and ‘Surround You’ from their first album. The band chose to stick with what they know, recording once again with Gethin Pearson, who helped with their second album ‘Simplicity’ showing strongly the sound they wish to continue to make and do make successfully.
As the third track comes around you get the impression that the band were sticking with calmer guitar/keyboard led melodies, but ‘Do You Remember?’ opens with a very much welcome rockier guitar riff. As the song builds towards the chorus and the pace of the track picks up, lead singer Connor’s emotion rips through the heavier melodies as he shouts “Do you remember the things that you told me?” followed by a powerful guitar breakdown which will prove very receptive in a live setting. The song ends on a sudden note and follows delicately into ‘Fear’, a track that when first released earlier this year was not as memorable as the album artwork, which was designed by front-man Connor Schofield himself. With such high expectations of the band, the song did not resonate well as a single, but now hearing it as part of the whole album and the story the band are portraying, it has become an unexpected pleasure.
Probably the album’s highlight, one that JAWS cannot be blamed for not releasing ahead of the album, is ‘End of the World’. From the promo surrounding this album, it is plain to see that this is an important work of art for the boys that they have worked hard on since their last release in 2016. The emotion put into this album is clear through this fifth track, which travels into a different gear and presents a very reflective, stripped-back Connor. The track is the longest on the album, at 5 minutes 20 seconds which is actually their longest release to date.
The album continues this emotional sonic journey with ‘Patience’ and ‘Looking/Passing’, the latter of which essentially being a carefree celebration of the journey that JAWS have been on over the past few years. As Connor literally outlines how he wishes he could take a minute to reflect on their success; “I wanna stop for a second and take it in” is the last line, accompanied by a minute of JAWS-like instrumental, which could be used as a minute of appreciation during live shows.
A change in mood is created by the title track ‘The Ceiling’. A strip-backed, heartwarming song where the instrumentals could possibly be the best on this album with moving lyrics accompanying. The penultimate track ‘Please Be Kind’ creates a glistening moment for JAWS where they allow their talent for romantic lyrics to shine through. The last track ironically is called ‘January’, where the band take their sound back to the good old days with Connor’s blending beautifully with the instrumentals, instead of being the centre stage, creating a somewhat distant feeling for the listener, which actually creates a more immersive experience. The vocals halt suddenly and leave the echoes of guitar ringing to announce a satisfying the end of an impressive album.
The abilities of JAWS to create such satisfying melodies, with not one sounding the same, is the sign of a band so confident in their abilities and their own sound. It is for this reason the exact reason that the band get such unwavering support as no piece of published work is half-hearted.
A huge difference and improvement in this album is JAWS’ use of lyrics, where their abilities place them at the forefront of their genre. The album has a larger sound than previous projects, which makes it more accessible to the general public — hopefully gaining them more of the recognition that they deserve. One notable thing about the band’s new sound is how much more they have focused on vocals, and bringing Connor’s voice to the centre stage of some songs to create a more intimate feel. This is nothing but a treat for fans to get to hear such delightful and enjoyable vocals.
If you haven’t, take a listen to this album and hopefully find a new or renewed love for a band that continues to impress with every release and as of yet, have never failed to disappoint.
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