Bowerbirds and Blue Things

Jetstream Pony combine post-punk, indie-pop, and power-pop, featuring Beth Arzy (The Luxembourg Signal/Trembling Blue Stars/Aberdeen) on vocals and percussion, Shaun Charman (The Wedding Present/The Popguns/The Fireworks) on guitar and vocals, Kerry Boettcher (Turbocat) on bass, Tom Levesley on drums, and recently joined by Mark Matthews (The Dentists/The Treasures Of Mexico) on guitar. The group released their debut single Like You Less / Had Enough in late 2017, on Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten. Two sold out singles followed, leading up to the self-titled debut studio album on KUS/Shelflife Records in May 2020. The album received fantastic reviews, selling out two pressings before being reissued (twice) by Spinout Nuggets in the Autumn and reaching many best-of-year lists. Another single release, If Not Now, When, also sold out later in 2020, and a following mini-album Misplaced Words arrived in December 2021, developing the sound from the debut with a balance between indie-pop and something darker – twelve-string guitar and harmonies, but underpinned by heavy bass, and sometimes a two-drummer rhythm section. Jetstream Pony return with a new full-length album Bowerbirds and Blue Things on Spinout Nuggets in the UK, and Shelflife Records in North America. The band’s evolution continues, and there are branches into new territory. The Relativity of Wrong is driven by heavy bass, a tale of youthful misbehavior, with guest vocals from Eleni Poulou, formerly of The Fall. Tendrils has a darker presence, sung by Kerry, echoing and ghostly. Bonanza 2 Tango Sierra and Look Alive! both have a driving feel, and the power-pop is still intact with songs like Bubblegum Nothingness. Bowerbirds And Blue Things is a varied album that keeps the underlying Jetstream Pony sound but with real development.