Turin Brakes: 'Something In My Eye'

In 2001 Turin Brakes were a very big deal. Two blokes sat on stools strumming along to tales of heartbreak made perfect sense at a time when Fran Healy was considered a 'Rock God' and Starsailor were the saviours of guitar music. Olly and Gale's mix of tender choruses and shrill vocal harmonies wooed music critics and left them sitting pretty atop the indie elite. However, as night turns to day, so does the NME switch from one fad to the next, meaning the Brakes have found themselves floundering on album number four, with nobody caring a jot about their recent Dark On Fire LP.

The duo's new single 'Something In My Eye' doesn't suggest a recalculation of their lowered and still plummeting standing is in urgent order, sounding like something they left on the cutting room while recording The Optimist LP, their debut album. Their shrill harmonies haven't developed any gravitas with the passing of age and they seem to revel in hitting the high notes rather than trying to add clout or purpose to their vocals. Conclusion: in 2007 Turin Brakes are not a very big deal.