aaamusic | On 05, Dec 2010

Frank Turner is one of the most underrated artists out there at the minute. I know what you are thinking; I am being biased because for me he is the voice of a generation, however, when you get to listen to as much new music as I do you begin to truly appreciate just how much people like Frank Turner are doing for music. If you don’t believe me listen to “I Still Believe” just once and you will begin to comprehend because Turner understands what many artists have forgotten and that is that music provides salvation. Lyrically, it’s as brilliant as many of his other calls to arms but the line, “I still Believe that everyone can find a song for every time they’ve lost and every time they’ve won” reverberates particularly strongly for me as does the notion that Rock & Roll has the ability to save lives. Turner has an unequalled ability to have strong thematic content but place it in a context where the track is still an enjoyable experience rather than an all out rally; all of this and I haven’t even discussed his vocals yet.

There is no track better to look at this element of Turner’s work than “Pass It Along” where the vocals are laid bare, exposed for all the world to see. It is rare that an artist has the ability to document the inner workings of faceless friends at the same time as seemingly singing about the universal condition but that is what is achieved here. Furthermore, in spite of a slow build, the track moves into an all out band track where the vocal still shines amongst all of the other elements on show. “Rock & Roll Romance” is reminiscent of “To Take You Home” in that it is one of the only out and out love songs that I can remember Turner writing in recent times. It is backed by deft fingerpicked chords and the sheer fragility of the vocal here feels like it could shatter at any moment, as though he is a man on the brink and yet at the same time it is knowing and confident.

“To Absent Friends” finds Turner back at his urgent best, the song constantly presses and fits a lot into its sub three minute length. Some may find the inclusion of faceless names frustrating but it is one of the things that I like most about Frank Turner’s music; it allows the listener to apply the scenarios to their own life without feeling like they have stolen scenarios. Furthermore, it allows you into Frank’s world; he shares his life openly and nowhere is this more obvious than on closing track “The Next Round.” It is the longest song on the EP and is worth every second of its 4:39 length. It is unquestionably honest and genuinely crushing, the line “I drink because I want to, because I need to, because I don’t know what else to do with my time,” feels as though it takes part of the vitality away from the singer. However, anything that has been lost comes back at the 3:30 mark when Turner is at his brilliant best when the passion in his voice is tangible all the pent up frustrations within the song are just let out.

It is not often that a songwriter allows his fans a chance to truly understand who he is as a person rather than just what he is willing to reveal; Frank Turner conceals very little and one gets the impression that at the end of the day he is “just like us”. He understands how important music is and never patronises with ditties that are more concerned with rhyming moon with June than actually saying something. If there is one gift you give someone this Christmas, make it the gift of a record that is packed full of soul and heart, I promise you won’t regret it.

Author: Josie Payne