Turbo Fruits - Debut Album review

So, cheerful teen punk rockers Be Your Own Pet have decided to make a side project with a better name. And if there’s one thing to like about Turbo Fruits, it is their name. Their music could be a scarily accurate replica of James Blunt frying Screech Owls over one of Delia Smith’s first easy bake ovens and I would still give them a listen.
You can’t help but wonder if Turbo Fruit’s charisma is effected by the lack of BYOP’s screech goddess Gemima Khan on the vocals. Fortunately, they present something slightly easier on the ear. BYOP’s drummer (John Eatherly), guitarist (Jonas Stein) and bassist (Max Peebles) have brought to the punk rock alliance a collection of 15 songs that I fear you will very much enjoy moshing your faces off to very soon. ‘No Drugs to Use’ opens the album with a slightly adrenaline filled chorus, but it doesn’t set off any sparks – at any rate, rock songs about a distinct lack of drugs are probably not the most innovative idea to kick start things. However, ‘Murder’ makes you forget about this bland opener and displays some excellent riffs that deserve some very unabashed head bashing. ‘Volcano’ too, is one of those songs that yes, is extremely repetitive, but contains so much aggression and energy it hardly matters that they’re just repeating the word ‘Volcano’ over and over. ‘The Run Around’ is even more interesting, with its bluesy guitar banter and smooth vocals. It signifies sexual entrapment, and then eventual yearning; “Hey pretty baby / why do you do that / you’re trying to take me / don’t think I like that.” Meanwhile, although ‘Pockets full of Thistles’ is an example of rhyming at its worst (“Pockets full of gristles / bristles / chisels”) – at least it’s a punk riot with plenty of noise and rhythm. There are however some real borers. ‘Pop Tart’, for example, sounds like ‘The Saints Go Marching In’ - and not even a decent version of it. You can’t help but wonder if Turbo Fruit’s charisma is effected by the lack of BYOP’s screech goddess Gemima Khan on the vocals. In her place is Jonas Stein, whose tuneless gravelly voice does slightly grate - although at times he can just about pass for a young Kurt Cobain. For a bunch of folk who are hardly old enough to drink to their own success, this is a decent first album, if one that lacks the raw allure that made BYOP special. I’m willing to believe that they have more potential than they’re letting on though, so I suggest you check ‘em out at Reading Festival. I mean, they are called ‘Turbo Fruits’ after all.

Sophie Hall
WRITTEN FOR ARTROCKER.COM