Turin Brakes - Average Man - Single Review

Turin Brakes – Average Man
Turin Brakes – Average Man (released 26.05.03) Turin Brakes
Average Man
(released 26.05.03)

In the vanguard of the cumbersomely titled New Acoustic Movement, Turin Brakes have successfully clung onto the coat tails of sensitive enormadome fillers Coldplay and David Gray. After 2001’s Mercury Music Prize nominated debut album, ‘The Optimist’, the talented duo have followed it up with an even better effort, ‘Ether Song’, which hints that they may be on their way to emulating their arena packing colleagues.

Ollie Knights and Gale Paridjanian, who comprise the band, began their musical career together singing in the Balham church choir, before specialising in writing heartbreaking acoustic tunes. On the single ‘Average Man’, which is lifted from ‘Ether Song’, the boys are less concerned with resurrection and redemption and instead focus on exposing a more prosaic reality: “Have another drink my son / Enjoy another cigarette / Because it’s time you realised / You’re just an average man.”

I don’t know what bonus tracks are offered, but the achingly beautiful chorus of the title track is easily enough to recommend it.

Gavin Eves