Unbelievable Truth
When Coldplay first started gaining popularity, there was a lot of talk about Radiohead being a major influence. I always found it a bit puzzling, as I never spun a Coldplay track and thought ‘Oh, this sounds like Radiohead’. Sure, there are musical touchstones shared by the two, but they honestly seem to be in totally different categories. In fact, I daresay they sounded a whole lot more like that other Yorke’s band. You know, Andy Yorke? Unbelievable Truth? Anyone??
It has to be a blessing and a curse to be Thom Yorke’s brother. On the one hand, hey, you’re Thom Yorke’s brother! And that has to be a fairly cool thing. On the other hand, if you’re say…a fellow musician, it can’t really be that fun. People are inevitably going to draw comparisons between the two of you, and when one brother is in what is probably the most influential band of the last decade, it must be tough to rise above.
Andy did though, even if it was for a short time. UT had only two LPs released before Andy broke up the band, but those two records are most assuredly ‘essential listening’. Andy’s personal, moody & heartfelt lyrics stand in bold contrast to his brother’s colder, more isolationist songwriting. I think there’s room in the world for both styles; I know there’s room on my record shelf.
The band was incredibly short-lived – they formed in ’97 and disbanded in ’00 (right around the time the aforementioned Coldplay started gaining popularity). They reformed for a one-off benefit show for victims of the 2004 Tsunami, but the chances for a full-fledged reunion seem unlikely. However, there has been a reunion of sorts lately, with both former members of UT backing Andy on his live solo material.
So for those of you who were unfortunate enough to have missed Unbelievable Truth the first time around, you can play catchup with a few MP3′s below. And if you really like what you hear, I’ve provided some convenient Amazon.com links to the albums! :)
2000′s Sorry thankyou on Amazon.com
1998′s Almost Here from Amazon.com
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