The Optimist LP is the debut studio album by English rock band Turin Brakes, released in 2001. "The Door" and "The Road" (previously released on The Door EP) were re-recorded for this album.

The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

In late 2011, Turin Brakes embarked on a national tour performing the whole of the album in its entirety for its tenth anniversary and again in 2021 for its twentieth anniversary.

Critical reception

Q listed The Optimist LP as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gale Paridjanian & Olly Knights

  1. "Feeling Oblivion" – 3:52
  2. "Underdog (Save Me)" – 3:35
  3. "Emergency 72" – 4:05
  4. "Future Boy" – 4:00
  5. "The Door" – 3:52
  6. "State of Things" – 3:33
  7. "By TV Light" – 4:53
  8. "Slack" – 3:16
  9. "Starship" – 2:50
  10. "The Road" – 5:33
  11. "Mind Over Money" – 4:53
  12. "The Optimist" – 7:43
  • The song "The Optimist" ends at 3:25. After 2 minutes of silence, at 5:25 the hidden song "Three Days Old" begins.

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for The Optimist LP

! scope="col"| Chart (2001)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for The Optimist LP

! scope="col"| Chart (2001)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 130

|}

References