JAWS release an intricate and profound second record, Simplicity.

The aftermath of the B-town wave has seen Swim Deep go psych and Peace settle in London, but some still stick to the original Birmingham scene. Stepping up from their lovely debut, Be Slowly, B-town squad JAWS have excelled on their ambitious sophomore album, Simplicity.

The album kicks off with Just A Boy, a track which demonstrates quite clearly how far JAWS have come since their first EP, Milkshake. It opens with a bouncy guitar hook soon to be over-run by much heavier chords. “I’m just a boy, but I’ll be better”, Connor Schofield sings, and we already believe him.

The following track, What We Haven’t Got Yet, is a lot heavier than anything we’ve previously heard from the band. Though drenched in reverb, it still has the permeating melodic tang that’s the red string through all JAWS work. The track peaks in an infectious course that will hopefully prove itself in a live format.

17 is an interesting illusion of a tune. It is a subtle changing format and Schofield’s dreamy prolonged vocals work in symbiosis, backed by Alex Hudson‘s fragile guitar chords hanging in the air. It’s hypnotic in a sense and rather consuming in the best way, though it might need a few listens. Overall, Simplicity is a demanding album, dragging the listener into the shoegazing world. “Don’t wanna feel like this when I’m only 17”, Schofield sings, giving a slight insight to the darker side of the album.

The lyrical aspect of the album is more refined, matching up with the melody, it plays on heavier themes than we’ve previously heard from JAWS. “Nobody is on their own” it’s said in Cast, showing the honesty coming through from a combination of music and lyrics.

It can be argued that Simplicity is both darker and grungier than the trio’s previous work, but it is not really that dark or grungy at all. Much of the honour for the album’s binary nature is credited to the basis laid by drummer, Eddy Geach, and the bass lines. Interlude, one of the album’s shorter tracks stands out as the only instrumental, pinpointing the melodic growth of JAWS through towering guitars and drums all wrapped in a daze of sound.

The B-town squad has broken out of the safety that previously has been clinging to their tracks and they are flourishing. On The Sunshine brilliantly switches between guitar laid bridges and a time-stopping chorus that brings out those sunny feels.

Just like JAWS‘ first album, Be Slowly, Simplicity is self-released, proving once again that you don’t need to be signed in 2016. The duality of darkness and sunshine that’s found in the tracks makes the record an interesting listen, keeping your attention closely captured within the band’s own sea of sounds.

A Brief Escape From Life is probably the track that has the most in common with their earlier work, but it is still refined, and the dreamy guitar easy takes you away. The song reinforces the overall purpose of Simplicity, which indeed feels like a brief escape.

Rounding off the album is The Invisible Sleep, a representable end to a marvel of an album. It’s a heart-aching opening breaking into a hard hitting brave tune where drums and vocals dominate and synchronise.

It seems like JAWS have found their sound and they truly master it throughout these 11 tracks. Braving their earlier sun kissed beach sound to bring on echoing guitars and a brutal honesty, JAWS have fully followed though, proving themselves as an exciting band who still manages to make in, even on their second album.