A Billion Heartbeats
Studio album by
Mystery Jets
Released3 April 2020 (2020-04-03)
GenreAlternative, Indie Rock
Length48:10
LabelCaroline International
ProducerBlaine Harrison, Matthew Twaites, Mystery Jets
Mystery Jets chronology
Curve of the Earth
(2016)		 A Billion Heartbeats
(2020)
Singles from A Billion Heartbeats
  1. "Hospital Radio"
    Released: 8 July 2019
  2. "Screwdriver"
    Released: 5 August 2019
  3. "History Has Its Eyes on You"
    Released: 30 August 2019
  4. "Wrong Side of the Tracks"
    Released: 13 September 2019
  5. "Petty Drone"
    Released: 2020

A Billion Heartbeats is the sixth studio album by English indie rock band Mystery Jets. It was released on 3 April 2020.

Background

The first single released from the album was "Hospital Radio" on 8 July 2019, and it was first played on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show.[1] The next single, "Screwdriver", was released on the 5 August 2019, alongside the announcement of the album name, tour dates and release date of 27 September 2019.[2]

On 17 September 2019, the band announced the postponement of the album's release and tour due to the hospitalisation of singer Blaine Harrison. They announced the rescheduled album release date for the 3 April 2020, with the tour following in April–May.[3]

The band were forced to reschedule the tour again to November–December 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, however the album release still went ahead as planned, but only digitally.

As a result of the postponed release, two EPs were released - Petty Drone and A Billion Heartbeats, each having all the released tracks up to that point.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic87/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Daily Telegraph[5]
DIY[6]
The Independent[7]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[8]
musicOMH[9]
NME[10]

A Billion Heartbeats received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 87, based on seven reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[4]

Most critics were impressed with the rousing sound displayed on the record; Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph praised the anthemic and intention sound of the album, stating that: "This is the sound of a group breaking out of their shell and demanding to be heard."[11] DIY Magazine reviewer Elly Watson agreed, calling the album a "rallying call for change and action", whilst also positing that the record will become an "undoubtedly influential album."[12] Alice Jenner of The Line of Best Fit echoed these calls, suggesting that "it's not a far stretch from their already established sound" but retains a sound which is "slightly heavier and a bit more raw in places".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mystery Jets

A Billion Heartbeats track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Screwdriver"5:23
2."Petty Drone"4:45
3."History Has Its Eyes on You"3:54
4."A Billion Heartbeats"4:56
5."Endless City"3:56
6."Hospital Radio"6:03
7."Cenotaph"5:11
8."Campfire Song"4:27
9."Watching Yourself Slowly Disappear"4:58
10."Wrong Side of the Tracks"4:37
Total length:48:10

Personnel

Mystery Jets

  • Blaine Harrison – vocals, keyboards, guitar
  • Kapil Trivedi – drums
  • Henry Harrison – keyboards, guitar
  • Jack Flanagan – bass
  • William Rees – guitar, vocals

Charts

Chart performance for A Billion Heartbeats
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 30
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 85

References

  1. ↑ Geoghegan, Kev (8 July 2019). "Hospital radio inspires Mystery Jets song". BBC News. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  2. ↑ "Mystery Jets take on the alt-right, announce new album and tour - NME". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  3. ↑ Stickler, Jon. "Mystery Jets Reschedule 'A Billion Heartbeats' Release, Share New Track Petty Drone - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 "A Billion Heartbeats by Mystery Jets – Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  5. ↑ McCormick, Neil (3 April 2020). "This week's best new albums: Ren Harvieu, Mystery Jets and more". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Watson, Elly (2 April 2020). "Album Review: Mystery Jets – A Billion Heartbeats". DIY. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Bray, Elisa (3 April 2020). "Mystery Jets review, A Billion Heartbeats: An empowering message of positivity". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Jenner, Alice (2 April 2020). "As an ode to the NHS, A Billion Heartbeats finds bittersweet timing, and Mystery Jets at their best". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Hogwood, Ben (5 April 2020). "Mystery Jets – A Billion Heartbeats". musicOMH. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. ↑ Reilly, Nick (3 April 2020). "Mystery Jets – A Billion Heartbeats review: a timely plea for compassion and kindness". NME. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  11. ↑ McCormick, Neil (3 April 2020). "This week's best new albums: Ren Harvieu, Mystery Jets and more". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Subscribe (2 April 2020). "Mystery Jets - A Billion Heartbeats". diymag.com. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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