Jawdropped are a four-piece from LA who grew up on a diet of Teenage Fanclub and Lemuria. Already a cult favourite after sensational sets at The Great Escape and other festivals over the past 12 months, the band have now signed to Transgressive and are all set to release debut album ‘Secret to Spare’ on Friday 18 September, 2026.

Jangle-pop hooks signal the start of album opener ‘The Line’, a Pains of Being Pure at Heart-esque song about having someone or something ‘out of reach’ and ‘laughing down at me’, while the uptempo ‘Monday’ could slot alongside Grouplove or Sunday (1994) with its breezy hooks and carefree attitude: ‘We’ve got time to change it, if you just say it to my face’. ‘Split Lip’, another recent single, follows in radiant style – although with a stark warning that ‘It’s fucked up, but that show how it is’. There’s also some advice to aspiring bands: ‘Lay your cards on the table, sign your soul to a major label. It doesn’t always work out’.

‘Cellulite’ has more of a swaying and subtle sound amidst lyrics about having tunnel vision and ‘a secret I could spare for you’, while ‘High Beams’ takes us right back to a classic, scuzzy sound somewhere between The Cars and early-’90s grunge: ‘It’s a funny feeling you know so well, it’s honesty as far as you can tell’. This continues through to ‘Cup’ with its direct lyrics – ‘Do you think that maybe we could talk some more?’ – and ‘Smoglight’, a hugely infectious and relentless slice of power pop that clocks in at under 2 minutes.

‘Pitch Black’ slows things down, veering into a more emo sound with melodic guitar and refined drums backing the melancholy words: ‘She said she’s tied all the time, this year hasn’t been alright and I just want to say the right thing. ‘Whiplash’ starts with stuttered, headbanging riffs that reflect its title before finishing with a pure ‘da, duh, da, da’ singalong amidst swirling guitars.

‘Two’ closes the album in more introspective, acoustic fashion as the band ponder the power of falling in and out of love: ‘Two is the loneliest number’. Reminiscent of Hop Along or even Tilly and the Wall, this song also offers some rich life advice: ‘Pay attention to the people you meet, they can take you to beautiful places and ones that really stink’.

With this breathtaking album, Jawdropped won’t be a secret for long.