Send "Frank Turner " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 In a way Frank Turner really did a number on his future self with his 2008 release Love, Ire and Song. For those of us that grew attached to it, Love, Ire, and Song became a generational album. It was the perfect combination of the self-loathing doubt, transitional angst, and drunken glory that embodies growing up. Sadly for Frank, everything he would release after would be compared to it, justly or not. Since then, his perspective has changed. Frank has gone from retelling his most trying moments verbatim, like he did on his first two albums, to channeling those core frustrations into something more. His first attempt at this, Poetry of the Deed was both a hit and a miss. While songs like “Try this at Home” and “Dan's Song” still balanced this bigger picture with his introverted realization, a number of songs on the album came off as overreaching and trite. Late last year he released the Rock n Roll EP as a sort of teaser for England Keep My Bones. With the exception of “I Still Believe”, it was more of a diversionary tactic than a preview of things to come, as it felt like a continuation of Poetry of the Deed's ups and downs. Luckily, England Keep My Bones finally gets the combination right and stands right alongside Love, Ire and Song as one of Frank Turner's best works. “Eulogy” kicks off England Keep My Bones in a triumphantly anthemic fashion. Its opening stanza is lovably everyman, declaring “everyone can raise their glass and sing,” but it's his closing shout of “Well, I haven't always been a perfect person/ I haven't done what mom and dad have dreamed/ But on the day I'll die I'll say 'At least I fucking tried!'/ That's the only eulogy I need,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album. Throughout England Keep My Bones Frank touches on his identity, both cultural and personal, bringing back the familiar and comforting sounds of a man coming to terms with his self which Poetry of the Deed so desperately lacked. The former is showcased brilliantly in tracks like “Rivers”, “English Curse” and “Wessex Boy”, which feels like a natural continuation of “To Take You Home”, in which Frank delves into the longing of just being at home that he faces on the road. Part nostalgia part patriotism, Frank's England is idyllic; where petty politics are replaced by the rolling countryside in which he achingly remembers from thousands of miles away. Frank's other half is the Frank we're used to, the Frank whose introspective insight sounds as if he's singing to and for his audience, be it a crowd of hundreds or a kid in his bedroom. From the escapism in “I am Disappeared” to the grab life by the horns joie de vivre of “Peggy Sang the Blues” he captures both the highs and the lows, but it's the reflective stance in songs like “Nights Become Days” that carries the most weight. Blurring the line between the exuberance of youth and burning out on heavy drug use, it is achingly somber and penetratingly accurate....full text |
| Absolutepunk |
| There is nothing new I can say about Frank Turner that I didn't say when I reviewed his Rock & Roll EP last year. In that review I laid out my thoughts about Turner, heavily praising him for his too-punk-for-punk-music brand of acoustic-ish folk rock. Even though I praised that EP for what it was, I can't say it really revealed what listeners would be getting with Turner's next record. England, Keep My Bones is Turner's fourth full-length, and it is with no doubt or hesitation whatsoever that I gladly report this is his best record. England, Keep My Bones is 12 songs of Turner's best lyricism, musicianship and energy all compiled into what will go down as his defining effort. Turner's lyrics have always been up-front and real, and opener "Eulogy" delivers on an ultra-personal level. It's basically a short poem that lets him get something off his chest while serving as a disclaimer that England, Keep My Bones is the best he can offer: "Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut / Not everyone was born to be a king / Not everyone can be Freddy Mercury / Everyone can raise a glass and sing / Well I haven't always been a perfect person / No, I haven't done what mom and dad had dreamed / But on the day I die I'll say, "Well at least I fucking tried" / That's the only eulogy I need." Turner fucking tried, indeed, and succeeded with this record. "Peggy Sang The Blues" is a witty homage to his grandmother, showcasing the lighthearted side of Turner's musicianship, while "Rivers" is a bit darker. Those two songs reveal the spectrum of Turner's style, but England, Keep My Bones isn't confined to those two extremes - rather, this is Turner's most versatile record. Take the defining portion of the album, right smack in the middle, from tracks 5 to 7. "I Am Disappeared," "English Curse" and "One Foot Before The Other" compile a triple-shot of Turner flexing his poetic muscle and paralleling that strength with the best-arranged music he's written. "I Am Disappeared" is a relative rocker in comparison with most of Turner's catalog, with the song's catchiness early on complementing meaningful lyricism in the bridge. "English Curse" is perhaps the ballsiest song anyone has heard all year - a two minute, 16 second entirely a cappella track where Turner hides nothing and just tells us a story. The song isn't just a showcase of Turner's exceptional vocals, it proves Turner is willing to put things on record that others wouldn't even consider executing. It perfectly sets up "One Foot Before The Other," which is the loudest and most rocking track on England, Keep My Bones....full text |
| Mindequalsblown |
| It’s hard to tell why English folk-punk raconteur Frank Turner would open his newest effort, England Keep My Bones, with a sullen, horn-laden introduction to the first track, “Eulogy.” Because once Turner’s adrenaline-spiked vocals kick in with raucous guitar riffs and rollicking drums, it’s hard to believe that this won’t be the album that translates Turner’s fame in his native Britain across the pond to earn some well-deserved respect stateside. “Peggy Sang the Blues” is trademark Turner, with toe-tapping acoustic riffs and lyricism that reads like poetry. The ditty crescendos with the incorporation of jaunty piano chords and a soaring chorus, inspired by lifelong advice Turner received from his grandmother. The album rambles along with “I Still Believe,” a holdover from Turner’s Rock’ n ‘Roll EP. Although on the EP, the track paled in comparison to stronger offerings like “Pass It Along” and “To Absent Friends,” it shines when standing on its own two feet on the album. The gang vocal-driven chorus is a rousing call to arms that is worthy of rocking entire stadiums, and between a Dylan-esque harmonica solo and emotionally stirring guitars, this track emphatically represents the sheer fun of Turner’s adept repertoire. “Rivers” comes across like a hymn for the current generation, with Turner’s nostalgic vocals accentuated by a wistful melody. The song is an ode to the island that Turner calls home, and the British government would do well to make this song an unofficial anthem for the country that Turner does proudly. One of the best qualities of Turner’s songwriting is his nearly flawless consistency. Each song is driven by folky instrumentation with punk leanings and storytelling lyrics as sweeping as the English countryside, yet every track has its own distinct flair. “I Am Disappeared” takes on an alternative-rock edge, while “English Curse” is a true-to-form one man show, featuring Turner spinning a traditional yarn in a-capella form....full text |
Frank Turner lyrics
|
