Brixton Academy hasn't seen such a sedate crowd as this one for a long time. The men looked like they were dragged here straight from work, some not even bothering to change out of their suits and young women formed long lines at the bar ordering the latest fashionable tipple......all very sedate and Turin Brakes did not nothing to change that mood this evening.

Beautiful, (boring?), music for beautiful people, the women coo-ed and the men kept making regular exits to the only bar that remained open but this London duo did not seem to care. Having just gone global with their instantly catchy hit single 'Pain Killer' - aptly named, it, (along with the only other high points 'The Optimist' and 'Emergency 72'), did little to soothe the rather bland fare that gone before leaving one wishing that the journey home would come soon and we could all just go back to listening to Turn Brakes as backing music for dinner parties from whence they came.

Don't get me wrong - these guys are talented. Their honest to goodness guitar sound and vocal hooks and harmonising are exceptional in their quality but also extremely non-offensive, (although in fairness you can barely make out what Olly Knights is singing about so some of these songs could all be about hero*n addiction and homeless Mothers for all I know). In any case, you'll get nothing different from seeing Turin Brakes live as opposed to listening to them at home except the beer will be far more expensive and you may get caught in the crush to leave after the final song.

Copyright 2003, BallBuster, The Official Int'l Underground Hard Music Report