It's all in the breeding or so they say and they are rarely wrong. Showing the benefits of breeding are Glasgow band Turning Plates with their album "Escapism" providing the evidence that your ears need. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is a studious and reflective album but don't let that put you off for although Turning Plates have the mark of the more studious Glasgow band stamped upon them, they draw more from Sigur Ros than they do Idlewild. Drama is on the menu.
Having had the chance the listen to this album several times now, the conclusion is obvious. Turning Plates have set their sail for the theatre here with the likes of "Painted" and "Inexplicable Trend" indicating that they would find a home in the real west end (that of the London stage, of course) doing the soundtrack to some historically themed play. Duncan Sutherland goes the distance with his level headed yet emotive vocals but the scale of these songs is notably increased by the effective keyboards of Jason Matthews. It might well be seen as something of an insult – which it isn't - but your granny would like these songs.
Rather incongruously, the big finale, as it were, "Wishing Well" points the band back at the path of mainstream of Scottish alt rock but, hey, everybody likes to wave their lighters in the air to something.
"Escapism" shows Turning Plates to be a band of some class and style even if their scope seems removed from the post industrial apocalypse that is the Scottish music scene.