*** Unbelievable Truth

ALMOST HERE

(Virgin)

Even if you didn't know that Unbelievable Truth leader Andy Yorke is the younger brother of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, you'd probably suspect a blood relation given the aural evidence on Almost Here. Not only do their voices sound similar (Andy's is a bit deeper than Thom's), but both prefer melodies with long, stretched-out notes that they can milk for maximum effect. And the two Yorkes share a distinctly despairing lyrical bent (the opening line here is, "There's a problem, I can't solve it"), though Andy's depression seems more obviously personal than Thom's existential angst. Unlike Radiohead, Unbelievable Truth don't strive for rock heroics. Most of the songs here are quiet, restrained, more acoustic than electric. Even the dramatic moments tend to be understated (the swelling bridge section of "Angel," the stop-and-start climax of "Same Mistakes"). At their best -- on the stripped-down title track, say, or the plaintive "Settle Down" -- Unbelievable Truth make music that's both haunted and haunting. Not an immediate ear grabber, perhaps, but an album whose charms only grow with time.

-- Mac Randall