Turin Brakes
Ether Song
(Astralwerks)
First Appeared at The Music Box, January 2004, Volume 11, #1
Written by John Metzger
Both Radiohead and Travis released new albums in 2003, and for the first time
since the their respective debuts, both ensembles appeared hesitant to stretch
beyond their previous efforts. Fear not, however, for the duo of Olly Knights
and Gale Paridjanian, known as Turin Brakes, has come out of nowhere to deliver
Ether Song, a dark, folk-pop outing that outshines both of its primary
influences. Not that the group doesn’t occasionally venture into other realms —
most notably with the glam rock infusion that fills tracks like Self Help, Pain Killer (Summer Rain), and Panic Attack, or the mid-’70s era,
Eric Clapton-driven acoustic blues of Stone Thrown. But its combination
of bleak emotional outbursts, ethereal ambience, and melodic beauty, not to
mention its meritorious convergence of moods both melancholic and mirthful —
which often occur simultaneously — makes Turin Brakes this year’s heir apparent
to the Jeff Buckley-meets-Nick Drake school of songwriting. 
Of Further Interest...
Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Jeff Buckley - So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley
Ether Song is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003 The Music Box