On their fourth album, the duo Turin Brakes pieces together their most comprehensive and multi-layered collection of material to date. Dark On Fire is full of highly orchestrated tracks that are rooted in acoustic guitars and singer Olly Knights' trademark rasp, but add much more flesh and decoration than before. It's perhaps their most engaging, if not thoughtful, album they've ever released.
Littered with semi-singles and radio-worthiness, Dark On Fire is both cerebral and psychosomatic at the same time. The seemingly familiar rhythms and vocal strain come naturally to the band and its audience, but the lyrics and song structures have been embellished to a new extent. An electronic hum introduces the album and a quick acoustic strum on "Last Chance". The song develops into an all-out adult contemporary radio hit. A piano, electric guitar, and drums effortlessly join the mix into an adrenalized chug. "Ghost" is a seedier electric track with a darker rhythm and vocal echo. "Something In My Eye" is a modern rock anthem that doesn't lose its uniqueness in the mid-tempo grind. "Stalker", the first single, is eye-twitching cousin of The Police's "Every Breath You Take". The first four tracks all feel like radio releases.
The middle section of the album turns the intensity down and emotion up. "Other Side" and "Dark On Fire" are slower, stringier numbers, while "Real Life" has an early 80's rock groove that gets a little too nestled. While the songs are little more calm, Knights' vocals reach a lot of their heights in these songs. "For the Fire" starts back out of the lull as a dirge-y thumper with electronics, and a fuzzed out guitar starring. The last third of the album kicks off with another uptempo radio flyer, "Timewaster". "Bye Pod" mellows back as a slow-building ballad, and loosens the belt for the last two organic tracks. It finishes about as softly as it begin in a rush.
It may not necessarily be the duo's most ambitious release, but at least it's aim is wide-ranging. The hooks in the first part of the album pave the way for the relaxed fit on the latter half, and altogether, Dark On Fire gels on a high level. It's easily some of the band's finest work.
