Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010

© Rough Trade/Hostess

Mystery Jets’ bright but unremarkable 2006 debut Making Dens garnered attention mostly because the father of lead vocalist/keyboardist Blaine Harrison was also in the band. Since then, the English five-piece have seen steady improvement and growing ambition. With their third studio album Serotonin—produced by veteran Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Elton John, Pulp, U2)—they now appear to be the finished product, delivering a euphoric slab of accomplished, infectious indie guitar pop, embellished with the kind of eclectic touches—prog, disco, flamenco, kitchen sink, etc.—that invoke comparisons to Super Furry Animals. But unlike SFA, whose musical eccentricity is often distracting, Mystery Jets make everything work for the benefit of the songs, including the stirring opener “Alice Springs,” the tugging and twisting title track, and “Lorna Doone,” which harks back to the wistful side of ’80s legends Spear of Destiny.