Silvertrain - Turn This Ship Around

Hear The Track Here

I know, I know, the month wouldn't be right without a Silvertrain track would it? Despite endless obstacles, my life has been brightened immensely by the four new 'studio' tracks the band have put together for their new Nine Lives CD. So if you thought you were in for yet another orgasmic spurt of criticism (yes, or ass kissing if you prefer) with Turn This Ship Around you would be dead wrong. Although I have to say that Angel By My Side is definitely one of my favourite of all Silvertrain tracks and it's a kinda/sorta ballad which makes it even more remarkable.

The reason I brought up the subject of Angel was because Turn This Ship around could well be its twin brother both in tone and content. In that respect, it absolutely typifies exactly what Silvertrain have always been about: short, sharp but incredibly sweet tracks that can be exhilarating or - in the rare instance - irritating. See it would come as no surprise to John and Ritchie (the engine drivers) that I dislike ballads but somehow they always seem to win me over - albeit eventually. I much prefer the rockier, upbeat style of the band but hey I'll take what I am given and be grateful for it.

Yeah. Riiiiigghhhtttt.

So, you are not going to get a lot out of Turn This Ship Around other than a plain unadorned guitar/voice track, and the smallest of why string arrangements. Wow, doesn't sound much like a hootenany does it? Welp, ya ungrateful varmints, just put your ear to it and see that despite that (major) obstacle, this is a classy, well sung track - in the time honoured Silvertrain fashion. Certainly a track I can see doing well on the millions of stations these guys seem to be on. Having lived with this track for a while, I can definitely see the potential but even in its raw state this a powerful song indeed. Even more gobsmacking is it's inordinately long 2:43 run time. This, remember, from the band who are renowned the world over for one minute wonders. In that respect, Turn This Ship Around counts as a magnum opus. Oh and tell me if this doesn't sound like Angel By My Side eh??

Bare naked, but a great song.