Turin Brakes may be hailed as the next Travis or Coldplay but they're going to have to try a wee bit harder.
Though their second album is listenable acoustic rock, it fails to live up to expectations, but only just.
Their sound is a strange amalgamation of Marc Bolan sings Crowded House, though their actual compositions seem to take their cue from seventies Dylan tunes like Knocking on Heaven's Door.
Not a bad combination and indeed songs like Blue Hour and current single 5 Mile (These Are The Days) are fairly enjoyable slices of folky pop with a 21st century edge.
But many of the songs are ponderous and slightly unfocused compositions which tends to drag if there are few musical surprises along the way.
Lyrically the album flips between rueful and rambling (If I was a farmer instead of a faker, If I was a realer and not just some raker...) to cod-psychotherapy and feel-good factor (Remind yourself of the things you have, it's easy, pull a smile onto your face...).
Sadly none of the tunes create their own memorable identity or stand out above the others, which leaves the listener wanting.
JS
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