Facedown Infectious
2000
Turn serve up the grower of the fortnight (and it'll take about a fortnight to grow on you!) on their Nurture label. It's a broody slow-burner that rumbles along like the Pixies on ketamine until kicking off with lots of ace drum pounding, straight out of the glory days of quality dark pop circa The Cure's Pornography. The flip side "Truth" does exactly what it says on the tin - heart-stirring honestly in a delicately twisted serving of barbed-wire beauty.
Beretta / Never Needed You Infectious
29 March 2000
A destructive, helpless rage of a song - lean, nervy and as keen as an inexpertly-wielded knife and the double A side's more of the same. Destined for great things, whether the music industry thinks so or not.
Beretta / Never Needed You Infectious
08 April 2000
Turn are from Dublin, but they share recent tourmates Seafood's love of the skewed, angst-ridden world of American indie-rock. 'Beretta' is a lash of angry, biting sentiment ("Why can't you look after yourself?") that beats its chest with a tumult of white-knuckle guitars and furious drumming, apparently lusting for the "comforting pain" of a gun-shot wound. All in less than three minutes. If it were a worse day for peeved Irish rock bands, we'd make poor-taste jokes about putting them out of their misery. But seeing as this is pretty good, and they're pretty excited about the suffering experience, we'll leave them to it.
Beretta / Never Needed You Infectious KERRANG!
08 April 2000

Does Chris Cornell fronting Kerbdog sound enticing to you? Irish outfit Turn have bottled this exciting potion and the resultant elixir is really rather tasty. "Beretta" begins with a solitary guitar as frontman Ollie's voice cracks "There's no comfort in pain, but I'll stay by your side", before kicking into an elephantine riff. Stirring stuff, indeed, expect more from this lot in the near future.
Beeswax Infectious KERRANG!
20 May 2000
Recently seen wowing audiences with the likes of Idlewild, Seafood and Wilt, Turn's limited seven-inch is a maudlin exercise in controlled anger. Quite capable of whipping themselves up into a dark, layered rumble, like their tour-mates the Dubliners are a tasty prospect. Here, angular guitars and heartfelt melodies collide like an indie band tackling nu-metal, all of which suggest that they're shaping up to be something rather special.
Too Much Make Up Infectious GUTTED
2000
Daniel Rees
4½/5
The latest single from the forthcoming debut album, Antisocial.

The music press are often very disillusioned. All parties are guilty of jumping on band-wagons - if one mag decides that a band is talented, suddenly all the others are queueing for interviews without actually hearing any material. It could be said that this applies for Turn. They are yet another of the "next big things" for 2000, alongside label-mates My Vitriol, as well as JJ72 and co. Except there's actually something very very tasty about Turn. Ignore the hype - they are actually very very good. Too Much Make Up is just pure musical fireworks. Steady to start with "don't expect a warning", everything explodes and just rawwwks with a sudden kick into the chorus. Even the b-sides are excellent, usually a sign of great potential. This Is Not A Love Song is saddened lament with a gloriously understated acoustic groove. It's probably better than most a-sides from similar artists. At a time when good rock seems to be losing out to nu-(poo)-metal and big beats, it's good to see the kids are gonna have something to mosh to in the local toilet (pending fake IDs, of course). The album should rock like a house on fire if this is anything to go by. Turn are currently supporting Idlewild on tour, so go buy that ticket now!
Too Much Make Up Infectious PHASE9.NET
29 March 2000
Mark Bayross
4/6
Dublin-based trio Turn are about to release their debut album, "Antisocial", and have released "Too Much Make Up", a live favourite, as a taster. Clocking in at (well) under three minutes, it’s a punky stab of guitar-fueled pop, with Ollie Cole’s vocals doing their best to be heard over the din. It made me think of Nirvana’s "Territorial Pissings" - that’s a good thing, by the way. B-sides to noisy singles are invariably the total opposite, presumably in order to demonstrate some musical diversity. And so it is here: "This Is Not A Love Song" is an acoustic ballad, while "Friends" is an electrified ballad... with piano. On the strength of this, the album may well be worth investigation.
Too Much Make Up Infectious BLAHT
2000
n/a
5/5
The single opens with a loud, electric song which is the song most likely to get the crowds up and jumping at gigs. It's actually quite amusing to watch Ollie's facial contortions when he screams "You've got too much make-up on... ahhhhhhhhhhh, yeah!" on stage! The two following songs are much slower, like the majority of the album. 'Friends' is a little weak musically, to begin with, but towards the end the sound becomes more interesting. 'This Is Not a Love Song' is a slow, quiet, and affecting song, with Ollie's vocals soft and tinged with sadness.
Too Much Make Up Infectious THE
BRAIN FARM
2000
n/a
7/10
Dublin trio's first single from forthcoming debut longplayer 'Antisocial'

A bit of a case of 'wrong choon, lads' on this one. The lead track is a shouty throwaway punk by numbers workout, not entirely disimilar from their finest moment yet, 'Beretta'. 'Don't expect a warning' sings Ollie Cole, but frankly you'll see it coming a kilometre away. Clattering drums meet minimal backing over a forgettable verse, but the chorus just about makes up for it, complete with 'woah yeah's from the rest of the band. Has a nice calm-before-the-storm bit, too.

Anyway, there's little on 'Too Much Make Up' to elevate Turn above yer average rock and vegetables act, until you reach the next two tracks. Both 'This is not a Love Song' and 'Friends' are acoustically driven and more swoonsome than you'd expect from a band about to tour with Idlewild. They show some melody and depth, and are delicate enough to deserve top billing. '...Love Song' especially, with its layered call of 'Cry like you do when there's no-one around' would have made a perfect single.

Lets hope the album is more thoughtfully put together. Life is not all about screaming about cosmetics, after all.
In Position Nurture
05 March 2002
Jim Healy
3/5
Last year Kells outfit Turn were dropped by their record label but this year they return with a new mini album and seem all the better being on their own. Their new release features six tracks ranging from melancholy to full-on razor sharp guitars in true Pixies-influenced style. The second half of 'In Position' descends into a little too much fuzz and static indulgence but this is only a teaser for what's to come on their second album. If their live performances are anything to go by, they will continue to go from strength to strength.
In Position Nurture
27 March 2002
Fiona Reid
10/12
"It makes no sense to stay at home when all your enemies are in position." So goes the title track from Turn's new mini-album, and you can see their point.

When they were dropped by their record company after releasing a debut as good as Antisocial, well, it just didn't seem fair. Thankfully, Turn are toughing it out and their new offering is a fine indicator that their position as one of the strongest rock bands in Ireland today is more than secure. Maturity seemed to be the keyword in most reviews for Antisocial and this particular characteristic is even more in evidence now. Their new stuff holds less of the helpless rage of tracks like 'Face Down'. There's a gentler and more considered approach, with an understandable air of reassessing and taking stock. Ollie's lyrics remain relentlessly personal, no longer splattered with angst, but brimming with weary recognition of mistakes made. Sombre starts lead to blazing choruses and every track is stunning, particularly the starkly melancholic 'Catch On You' and the breathlessly dynamic 'Heartattack' The record builds up to a eerie, layered sound in the closing moments, leaving you wanting more. An appetiser for great things to come, I suspect.
In Position Nurture PLAY
REWIND
10 April 2002
n/a
4/5

In Position is Turns new EP and it may only have only six songs but each one is a gem and makes up for the lack in number. Turn have done a wonderful job of making a wide ranging EP songs range from the melodic Every Mistake to the heavier "Heart Attack" and the superb acoustic title track "In Position". Over these six songs turn show a wide spectrum of musical talent that leave one anticipating their second album, which is expected later this year. The brilliant lyrics in the sickeningly good vocals of Ollie Cole (unheard of in today's world of rough harsh vocals) along with his inventive guitar playing, Ian Melody bashing on the drums (in a good way) and Gavin Fox the exceptional bass player combine to produce a great EP.
PLACEHOLDER
Another Year Over / Summer Song Nurture
27 July 2002
Phil Udell

IMore recipients of overdue success, Turn sound suitably geared up on this four tracker. 'Another Year Over' is awash with freaky keyboard effects, while 'Summer Song' is a nice enough anthemic number. Top marks too for the Elvis Costello cover.