Music review: Frank Turner – ‘Positive Songs for Negative People’
Throughout his career, Frank Turner has consistently demonstrated a strong penchant for penning songs of passionate lyrics that evoke vivid images about coping with the daily struggles of everyday life.
The introspective bluntness of 2013鈥檚 鈥淭ape Deck Heart鈥� received critical acclaim and quickly became a personal favorite of mine.
While 鈥淭ape Deck Heart鈥� unleashed a moving journey of physical and emotional scars left from broken relationships, self doubt and reckless behavior, the 33-year-old singer-songwriter focuses on themes of recovery and optimism on his latest album.
Recorded in a little over a week in a Nashville studio with Butch Walker handling the production, 鈥淧ositive Songs for Negative People鈥� has the constitution of a spontaneous recording.
鈥淏y the waters of the Thames/I resolve to start again,鈥� confidently declares Turner on the opening track, 鈥淭he Angel Islington.鈥� The gentle acoustic number vows not to dwell on past mistakes and move ahead in a determined and focused manner.
鈥淕et Better鈥� follows with a raucous pub-rock sound that drives Turner to passionately confess, 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get better because I haven鈥檛 been my best.鈥�
Folk flavorings sweeten free-flowing tracks like 鈥淭he Opening Act of Spring鈥� and 鈥淟ove Forty Down,鈥� while 鈥淕lorious You鈥� and 鈥淭he Next Storm鈥� take it up a notch with Turner fervidly singing, 鈥淩ejoice, rebuild, the storm has passed.鈥�
鈥淲e used to fit like mittens but never like gloves,鈥� sings Turner on 鈥淢ittens,鈥� soberly describing the loneliness that follows after coming to terms with a failing relationship.
The final two tracks bring the album to a touching close.
鈥淪ilent Key鈥� honors the memory of Christa McAuliffe, one of the seven astronauts who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. Turner follows by delivering a heartfelt acoustic eulogy for a fallen friend on 鈥淪ong for Josh.鈥�
Turner has described his latest offering as a summation of his first five releases.
Elements of punk, folk, rock and pop blend harmoniously together to produce 12 songs of infectious melodies and detailed storytelling. Turner makes a Pittsburgh appearance at Mr. Smalls on Sept. 19.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.