More about: Frank Turner

Frank Turner has been on quite the journey. With just his guitar in hand, he’s transformed from playing dingy bars and cafes across the UK to performing victorious sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena. He’s also written a long series of infectious choruses that have won over the British public.

With his sixth studio album, Positive Songs For Negative People, he’s taken a more low-fi approach, presenting less tightly-written cuts that capture the artist’s intention to relentlessly spill out all the thoughts swarming around his head. 

His strong vocal style is raw and underproduced throughout the record, with a sea of heart-on-your-sleeve phrases piercing listeners honestly and effectively. Thankfully, his whole band are leading the charge with him, a mass of harsh guitars, crunching drums, sweet pianos and horns elevating what could just be understated folk songs.

Recent single, ‘The Next Storm’, is reminiscent of his older material - an ever optimistic and motivated Turner shouting, "I don’t want to spend the whole of my life inside / I want to step out and face the sunshine." It’s an undeniably catchy hook in an album littered with memorable quotes.

‘Out of Breath’ is an unrelenting, rapidly-paced punk song that paints images of regret and unquenchable desire, while 'The Opening Act of Spring’ sounds like a tornado of melancholy and sentimentality at a barn dance.

Frank's always had a talent for writing concise and punchy statements that resonate universally with people.'Get Better''s mantra of "I’m trying to get better because I haven’t been my best" is beautifully simple, surely striking a chord with even the most cynical of individuals.

If you're a fan, you know where you stand with this prolific artist. After 5 or 6 tracks, familiar themes of love, regret, rebellion and youth have been addressed, and the listener is left with a handful of songs that can't quite carry the weight of their predecessors. But when it works, it really bloody works.

More about: Frank Turner