Song of the Day: We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices

^{photo by Neil Thomas Douglas}

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Quiet Little Voices by We Were Promised Jetpacks from the 2007 self-released, self-titled EP.

How many seconds did it take for you to get hooked on this song? OK, maybe I’m a sucker for catchy, tension-building guitar/bass lines. Regardless this Glaswegian quartet is full of them. Perhaps this track is an unfair reference, being their regular concert closer and catalyst for indie kid pant-wetting. But it doesn’t end here. If those bright, jagged guitars don’t get you, the throbbing, often dominant drum rolls will. There are definite similarities to Interpol, but We Were Promised Jetpacks keep it danceable and easygoing, leaving any bravado by the wayside. Singer Adam Thompson is equally capable of conjuring Paul Banks one minute and an emotional Robert Smith/Bono crossbreed the next. I apologize for any crossbreeding imagery currently traversing your synapses. Thompson’s soaring vocals often find themselves in friendly competition with the instrumentation around him, highlighting the worth of each individual band member. Don’t let a full package like this fall off your radar. See another side of the band by watching this acoustic performance shot a couple weeks ago in Glasgow: