Frank Turner’s explosive folk rock
Folk, punk, rock, pop. In Britain there is a musician named Frank Turner that he mixes the musical genres mentioned previously with skill, obtaining a result that is little less than explosive. The British rocker turns 43 today, his solo career boasts ten albums, from “Sleep is for the week” from 2007 until recently “Undefeated”. And it is precisely our review of this latest test that you can read in the lines below.
Frank Turner is a top chart artist in Great Britain with a handful of very devoted fans. He has an extremely active and prolific pen, the new album “Undefeated” is in fact his tenth solo album in 17 years of activity. Due to his political and social commitment he can ideally be compared to an updated version of Billy Bragg. A fiercely independent musician – he recorded and produced the new album himself in his home studio without having a major label behind him – always ready to put his heart and soul into defending his ideas and supporting the causes he deems worthy.
A very honest attitude towards others and towards himself which places him in an empathetic connection with the audience both on record and, above all, in concert where he can give vent to his inexhaustible energy, managing to conquer even the furthest from the stage of those present in the room . Alongside him in “Undefeated”, sharing his musical beliefs, are the Sleeping Souls once again: Ben Lloyd (guitar), Tarrant Anderson (bass), Callum Green (drums) and Matt Nasir (piano). The latter also co-wrote three songs on the album: “Letters”, “No Thank You for the Music” and the acoustic “On My Way”. Three of the best songs on the album, which starts with the single “Do one”.
This is the last song written for the album by Frank Turner with the declared intent of summarizing the moment of existence he is experiencing which he himself describes as “revitalized, rebellious, fun and with a passion still alive for singing”. “Do one” is certainly one of the new songs that will receive a lot of enthusiasm in concert. As well as the ramshackle Pogues-style pub song “Never Mind The Back Problems”. But they are not the only ones. Turner said “Undefeated” is a provocative and energetic record about growing old shamefully, making peace and accepting this inevitable condition. Frank joined the ‘anta’, but his desire to play rock’n’roll remains intact.
“Undefeated” is always balanced between short, loud, fast, funny and biting punk rock episodes, and more reflective songs in which the words take on a deeper meaning without however losing that immediacy which is a fundamental ingredient of Frank Turner’s poetics. “FTHC”, the previous album released two years ago, gave us a musician in a splendid state of artistic health, “Undefeated” is absolutely equal to him in terms of integrity and artistic quality.
With the elementary and wonderful piano still in my ears which, at the end of the album, accompanies the incisive words of the title track (“Stood in the middle of life, love and loss…”), I read that last weekend this 42-year-old he’s busy playing 15 concerts in 15 different venues in the space of 24 hours to support the cause of independent music… how can you not love him.
