This is the second band in a matter of weeks (the other was Athlete) that I have really enjoyed, but have been unable to classify. Turin Brakes is hard to classify because they sound familiar, yet they don't really have any prevailing influences coming through in their songs.
Turin Brakes builds their sound on solid guitars, excellent vocal harmonies and beautiful lyrics. They are at turns folky ("Forever"), groovy ("Asleep with the Fireflies"), and danceable enough to be compared to OutKast by some ("Red Moon"). They are also very deep and thought-provoking, especially in the song "Road to Nowhere," written from the point-of-view of a nine-year-old boy who tells his dad that it "seems everyone's dying or curling in pain."
If I had to compare Turin Brakes to anyone, I would say they take the sounds of early Radiohead and combine them with the harmonies of Aztec Two-Step. But as I said with the band Athlete, writing about this album just doesn't seem to do it justice. This is another album full of good music that you should experience for yourself. I should give one caveat though. Listening to this album will probably leave you wanting more Turin Brakes in your life.
