Album Review: Turin Brakes – Invisible Storm
3 min read
With a UK and European tour about to begin over the next month or so, 4-piece folksters Turin Brakes have recently unveiled their eighth studio release, Invisible Storm. The record comes not long after the release of their previous pop-oriented masterpiece, Lost Property which offered fans a string of hits including 96, Keep Me Around and the stunning ballad, Save You, and the lads are wasting no time at all in birthing a new collection.
Teased back in November by lead single Wait, we were introduced to Invisible Storm through a track rich in the same acoustic melodies, sweet harmonies and front man Olly Knights distictive and powerful lead vocals with the track mixing the bands signature indie and pop influences that have made the act one of the finest guitar driven outfits of the last twenty years.
Hooks run freely through Lost In The Woods as the band throw one of the records more pop-laced hats into the ring; the tracks guitar solo nearing the end of the number and the structure of the songs chorus noding at the likes of classic rock giants Fleetwood Mac, giving the centre of Invisible Storm a much more adult contemporary dressing than other moments on the record while Deep Sea Diver is the perfect showcase track for frontman Olly to stand under the spotlight and unveil some of the most exquisite and seasoned vocals to be heard on the latest collection. In the same vein as latest single Don’t Know Much, Americana is the called upon seasoning for this addition to Invisible Storm; enriching the track with a very southern vibe while Knights flows through the track with passionate loyalty to the numbers sentimental tone.
Layered vocals and an orchestra ignite Smoke and Mirrors as its transforms from a simple drum beaten ballad into a euphoric and uplifting experience filled with violins, a patchwork of wailing guitars and some tinkering ivory keys.
Second single and album closer Don’t Know Much takes us down a softer path with a wallowing acoustic melody set up by the band as Olly dishes up a sweetly delivered lead vocals and shares some pitch-perfect harmonies with fellow founding member Gale Paridjanian while a subtle slide guitar injects some Americana influence into the veins of the track – a running theme heard throughout the record.
Turin Brakes emerged at the tail end of the Brit-pop movement and could easily be described as one of the few survivors of that time and further to their credit the act have developed themselves thoroughly enough throughout each new record to retain not just a relevance to the UK music scene but a requirement to the longevity of the genre that they have helped transcend the past couple of decades while others – some even far more successful – have fallen by the wayside. Their consistency and range as musicians, alongside their sheer talents at their respective musical and songwriting crafts, is a true testament to the success of Turin Brakes and will no doubt continue to propel the foursome through several more successful records. Invisible Storm is another outstanding contribution to British music from one of the finest indie-pop collectives on the scene and juggernauts of the live circuit!
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