The first time I heard Frank Turner’s “Recovery” was on a St. Patrick’s Day-themed request show on the radio. I was instantly struck by the personal lyrics and quirky delivery, and I had to find out who this fresh new artist was. To my surprise, I found that Frank Turner had already been around quite a while.
Off With Their Heads
Ben Marwood
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Majestic Theatre
8 PM; $17/$20
Hailing from Hampshire, England, Turner was educated at Eton College, among famous peers such as Prince William (you may have heard of him). Turner claims he was an outcast among his peers, though, dabbling in the subversive hardcore punk scene. In 2001, he became a member of the short-lived post-hardcore band Million Dead. After the split of Million Dead in 2005 due to irreconcilable differences, Turner continued touring on his own with various backing bands. Five solo albums later, he has obviously come a long way from his punk background.
Turner’s newest album, Tape Deck Heart, is a frank collection of poppy folk songs with a punk twist. He approaches the devastation of a bad break-up with a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that welcomes the listener to commiserate. This openness is extremely refreshing, especially with so many bands today using mystery as a marketing ploy. Frank Turner certainly isn’t hiding anything; he’s telling it exactly as it is, in painful detail. But it’s not the sound of giving up. It’s the sound of falling down and picking oneself up, which is precisely what makes it so infectious.
Having recently signed to Interscope Records, Turner will be spending quite a bit of time in the U.S. in the coming months. If you want to catch him this time around, head to the Majestic Theatre next Tuesday, August 6 for a night that’s sure to erupt into an impassioned singalong.