NME Reviews

Turin Brakes : The Door

Turin Brakes are the quiet ones you have to watch.

A reworked re-release, this, of Turin Brakes' summer 1999 debut. Initially, it could be mistaken for the sort of politely morose MOR than constitutes mainstream indie nowadays, but it's actually a paean to the perils of procrastination; shot through with a fear of making
a decision signified by a shredding, anxiety attack of bottleneck
guitar hanging in a wretched limbo. "I panic at the quiet times..."
So very true.


The B-sides show the band in their truer, stranger colours - 'The Boss', no rollicking tribute to Bruce Springsteen, rather a song with its nervous system turned inside out, spurting lactic angst every which way. By the time they've respectfully perverted Linda Lewis' 'Reach Out For The Truth' we're a long way away from where we started out. Turin Brakes are the quiet ones you have to watch.


David Stubbs

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