Ether Song

by

Turin Brakes

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Why should you never trust online music reviews? Because the people who write them are biased. Most people only write reviews for albums they love or despise. That is why you should never trust anyone who gives an album a five out of five (nothing gets a five out of five, except maybe something ridiculously infallible like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, or Jesus risen from the dead in a rock & roll band).

That being said, I give this album a 7.9 when compared to music of 2003. Turin Brakes often draws comparisons to their previous LP, The Optimist, that won the band a Mercury Prize nomination (...).

Since their last album several changes have been made. These include moving to a major label (Astralwerks), and upgrading to a big-time producer, (Tony Hoffer of Beck, Supergrass, and Air fame.). Also, some of the acoustic guitar was ditched for electric guitar and synths. This may make you skeptical because it stinks of 'sell-out', but if anything this is one of best albums of 2003.

The singing and songwriting is incredible. I could inaccurately compare them to other bands, like Radiohead or Coldplay, but these guys are carving out something unique. This is one of those albums that you can play to anyone and they will like it. But it and thank me later.

Grabbed this CD because I grew increasingly weary of having a strange ecclectic mix of Turin Brakes' music in my collection. I wanted a whole album of theirs, and not this random selection of songs that come from all over the place.

I grabbed this one because it had a good number of good songs on it, or at leasts the songs that represented to me their most solid work. As it turns out, I didn't need to buy the album, because I already had the solid songs that attracted me to it, and the album didn't really offer anything new that was outstanding. The 'solid' songs I speak of are self help, pain killer, and rain city. Other songs on the album that were of interest after listening were falling down, and panic attack.

This album is a good one. It is easy to listen to, and it provides an overall feeling that is common of Turin Brakes' work. The songs on their own invoke feelings of crossroad experiences in life, and the whole album leaves you feeling awfully introspective, which is something that Turin Brakes do very well. The songs stay with you, and the album has the potential to open some doors in the head that let some light in. It is a good album, and one that I am happy to have purchased.

That being said, if you have any other Turin Brakes material, this will simply add to it. It won't in my opinion improve it or take it to another level.