Customer Reviews

Jackinabox (Bonus Dvd)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a band that has been around a while. Most people know them because of
The Optimist LP. KCRW used to play their records to death. They had songs
that were performed on Top of The Pops. Strange for a band that more in common
with Simon and Garfunkel than any pop music. Based in Brixton, but their heart
remains in Southern California. Their inspirations lie in some records made in
the 1970s. The first song "They Can't Buy The Sunshine" exposes the British
fascination with good weather. There are ballads like "Forever" which are
splendid. Some fans of people like Damien Rice and West Indian Girl might like
what these guys have been doing for quite a while now. It's very moving acoustic
music made for the soul. This is probably the best overall record by Turin
Brakes.

Being one of the apparent few americans lucky enough to be introduced to the band when "optimist lp" arrived 5 or so years ago, I have been an avid listener and anxiously awaited this new release. Having listened to the album three times in the last three days, however, has left me a bit let down. At the very least, it sounds like turin brakes, so it can't be all that bad. At the same time, there are but two or three tracks on this album that aspire to the heights reached on "optimist" and "ether song". Maybe I was wanting to hear them expand on the sonic bombast that was "ether". It doesn't. It sounds like they have devolved (intentionally?) to something more akin to "optimist", but it's not even close to being as intimate or emotional. I do think the acoustic guitar work is masterful, it's the melodies that leave me cold. The harmonies are vintage brakes. This is not to say that I won't listen to or enjoy the album on some level. It just didn't bowl me over like the last two albums did on first listen. Still, Turin Brakes is one of my faves and I hope to see them headline a tour in the states this year.

Psych-folk is not exactly a new phenomena -- Turin Brakes has been doing it for four years now.

But this enchantingly mellow British duo add a catchier edge to their third album, "Jackinabox," without losing their heavy dose of spacey folk. It lacks the more uniform sound of their past work, but at least the boys are stretching their creative muscles.

The rock-ier vibe of the opening song signals a bit of a change, with a catchy hook and charmingly upbeat vibe. Despite its list of woes, guitarist/singer Ollie Knights sounds optimistic: "The credit card skyline rises high/crushing the sky and multiplies/they're buying up souls to fill their holes/but we know the one thing they don't know/they can't buy the sunshine..."

That rock sound continues, after a stretch of wavering lament -- expect roiling riffs over satiny blips and bleeps. Ollie Knight also gives his vocal abilities a stretch; his past efforts have been wistful and soft, but here he hardens his singing into a rougher, less dreamy sound. And it's actually very successful, although he sounds like a different singer.

But just because Turin Brakes is experimenting with rock doesn't mean that they've abandoned their past sound. Their dreamy psych-folk reenters after a few songs, and makes up a fair amount of the remaining music. They're even more polished than before, mingling the languid acoustic guitar with even more languid songwriting.

But even that gets a stretch with songs like the swirling, hazy title track, where Knights uneasily sings over a psych-folk rhythm. "My world is on fire/someone get some water/cause I think I'm gonna burn." That sense of unease carries through to the delicate finale, which seems uncertain of the world in general. Or is it their musical direction? It's as murky as their music.

It's certainly a credit to Turin Brakes that, like fellow Britpop band Travis, they can do both languid pop and energetic rock. Their rock'n'roll is a shade less engaging their their folkpop, merely because it's far less unusual. But Knights and bandmate Gale Paridjanian carry off their rock desires with energy and verve.

"Jackinabox" is split between rock and psych-folkpop, and so it's never quite even. But Knights and Paridjanian show that they still have what it takes, and they're not going to let it sit and stagnate.

I only bought this album 2 days ago and I love it, I had never heard of Turin Breaks before but had heard 'fishing for a dream' on the radio and had to have the album of whoever sang that song so I went searching the shelves at the local music store and found it, and 2 days later I love it!, its a great album to listen to in the car with the windows down on the sunny day. Def worth a listen, brill summer album.

Psych-folk is not exactly a new phenomena -- Turin Brakes has been doing it for four years now.

But this enchantingly mellow British duo add a catchier edge to their third album, "Jackinabox," without losing their heavy dose of spacey folk. It lacks the more uniform sound of their past work, but at least the boys are stretching their creative muscles.

The rock-ier vibe of the opening song signals a bit of a change, with a catchy hook and charmingly upbeat vibe. Despite its list of woes, guitarist/singer Ollie Knights sounds optimistic: "The credit card skyline rises high/crushing the sky and multiplies/they're buying up souls to fill their holes/but we know the one thing they don't know/they can't buy the sunshine..."

That rock sound continues, after a stretch of wavering lament -- expect roiling riffs over satiny blips and bleeps. Ollie Knight also gives his vocal abilities a stretch; his past efforts have been wistful and soft, but here he hardens his singing into a rougher, less dreamy sound. And it's actually very successful, although he sounds like a different singer.

But just because Turin Brakes is experimenting with rock doesn't mean that they've abandoned their past sound. Their dreamy psych-folk reenters after a few songs, and makes up a fair amount of the remaining music. They're even more polished than before, mingling the languid acoustic guitar with even more languid songwriting.

But even that gets a stretch with songs like the swirling, hazy title track, where Knights uneasily sings over a psych-folk rhythm. "My world is on fire/someone get some water/cause I think I'm gonna burn." That sense of unease carries through to the delicate finale, which seems uncertain of the world in general. Or is it their musical direction? It's as murky as their music.

Accompanying the CD is a bonus DVD with live songs, videos, commentary, and so forth. It's a good accompaniment to "Jackinabox," since it adds new dimensions to their songs and artistry. Not truly necessary, but it does serve to highlight it -- and the live stuff is excellent.

It's certainly a credit to Turin Brakes that, like fellow Britpop band Travis, they can do both languid pop and energetic rock. Their rock'n'roll is a shade less engaging their their folkpop, merely because it's far less unusual. But Knights and bandmate Gale Paridjanian carry off their rock desires with energy and verve.

"Jackinabox" is split between rock and psych-folkpop, and so it's never quite even. But Knights and Paridjanian show that they still have what it takes, and they're not going to let it sit and stagnate.

Very Satisfied with purchase. The C.D. was as described and was delivered promptly. I would definitely use this vendor again. Excellent results. Thanks

The latest offering from this south London duo continues in the same vein as it's predessor 'Ether Song'. Perfect, quirky harmonies lie effortlessly over acoustic-driven melodies to give an intoxicating 'sun-drenched' feel, closer to California than to London. However, when I first listened to this album, I had mixed feelings, but I kept it on the car CD-player and it stayed there longer than expected. The opening track 'They Can't Buy the Sunshine', along with 'Fishing for a Dream' and the title track 'Jack In A Box', are as good as anything they have ever done, if not better. There are no fillers on the album as each song stands tall on their own merits...Turin Brakes will be proud of this one, and this CD should grace any eclectic CD collection worth it's salt....If you like Damien Rice, Jack Johnson etc..you will love this.

America hasn't yet discoverd this great UK band. Very folky in their approach, but some upbeat songs too. Fan's of Travis, Coldplay, Snow Patrol etc, should find something memorable about these songs, and their approach. This is the 3rd full length CD from Turin Breaks and in my opinon their finest work. Give them a listen, you won't be disappointed!

It's all very well to look back at frivolous musical scenes of the past and laugh at their foibles (sports metal? Ha ha! Greebo? Very funny, now go away), but most critics would agree the Quiet Is The New Loud genre died soon after its fey outline appeared on the horizon. Desperately clambering for attention while UK rock music was at a low ebb in a post-OK Computer world of drudgery (remember kids, this was a time when the biggest chart artists included Macy Gray, The Corrs and Travis), the artists lumped into the Quiet Is The New Loud scene experienced brief exposure but ultimately little commercial success. Amongst the fairly forgotten names such as Alfie, I Am Kloot and Kings Of Convenience stood Turin Brakes, a London duo that managed to take their trembling acoustic works to the masses via albums The Optimist LP and Ether Song. While Ether Song hinted at a prospective move towards powered amps and rock riffs, for their third album JackInABox, the Turin Brakes song remains the same. They Can't Buy The Sunshine opens the album with a nod to 1970s MOR Americana, with easy sounds of Forever and Over And Over continuing the trend with nice, but ultimately uninspiring, melodies. Red Moon and Asleep With The Fireflies are upbeat but unexplosive, while Fishing For A Dream finds Olly Knights wincingly singing about wining and dining his gal in a celebrity world. While he doesn't have a natural voice, when vocally backed by partner Gale Paridjanian there is an accommodating Cat Stevens element to Knights' style. Highlights on JackInABox include the title track (which features a rush of congos and a bout of slide guitar) and the closing sounds of Come And Go, but ultimately Turin Brakes aren't making a great leap forward on this effort. While garage rock revolutions continue unabated, Turin Brakes quietly go about their low-key business with their regular tenacity, Sadly, unlike the titular jester, there's no surprises within this package.