Ether Song

If one thing’s true of the music business, it’s that everybody’s got an angle. Thus when Turin Brakes found themselves lumped in with the – admittedly fairly ludicrous – ‘new acoustic’ scene and the column inches that ensued, there weren’t too many complaints. Fast forward a couple of years and there is talk of the whole thing being frightful and ‘a noose’ around their necks. Hmmm. With all of that in mind, the London duo have decamped to LA and attempted to rethink the whole thing with Beck (and Thrills!) producer Tony Hoffer. The album has an overtly laidback, West coast feel to it that suits the duo’s passionate strumming and easy harmonies. Unfortunately the temptation to overdo it is one that hasn’t proved easy to resist and far too much of Ether Song is flabby and self-indulgent. The main problem, however, is that the songs just aren’t up to it, plodding by in an uninspirational fashion. When ‘Pain Killer’ does finally appear two thirds of the way through it’s a massive relief – not just because of familiarity but, with its tightness of structure and infectious melody, it’s everything that the rest of the record fails to be. Fair play to them for trying to move onwards and upwards, but maybe Turin Brakes need to stay a little closer to their roots in the future.