SHREDDING PAPER, Chicago, IL (issue#16 / summer 2003):

TURN PALE - 'Kill the Lights' CD

Turn Pale rock a pretty heavy Birthday Party vibe, as in not the activity with cake and ice cream but the completely amazing somewhat demented band Nick Cave was in before the Bad Seeds.  I always loved the Birthday Party because they could be dark, cinematic and somewhat scary without being cheesily theatrical.  Turn Pale pick up the torch from there that band left off at say Mutiny and the Bad Seed EP, and take other more contemporary sounds as well into their own thing.  This is really good, because despite the resurgence of the nu-post punk nobody is really adequately exploring this ground anymore.  This music is moody and certainly not for everybody, but it definitely will be very important for the right people that find it.  Some of the songs stretch out pretty long, but never to the point of absolute excess.

- Conan

BACK