The Optimist LP is the first full-length album release by Turin Brakes. Critically acclaimed by the UK music press, the album was released in 2001 and cemented the band's place in the UK "acoustic movement" (a term invented by the music press). "The Door" and "The Road" (previously released on The Door EP) were re-recorded for this album. Championed by radio DJs such as Jo Whiley (BBC Radio 1), the band provided a respite from the pop groups that dominated radio airplay at the time. The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.