Frank Turner

Nowadays it seems that nearly every punk rock front man has a "solo project". Depending on your taste in music this might be an exciting offshoot of the scene or it might be an obnoxious trend. I believe there are artists that represent both viewpoints. Guys like Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) and Tim Barry (Avail) command respect for their solo ventures. At the very least their music is interesting. At most it is eclectic, unifying and - dare I say - enlightening. I would be lying if I said I had any interest in folk music or alt-country before hearing Ragan's Gold Country. Now I find my CD and record collections being filled increasingly with some of the genre's staple artists.

On the other hand, Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Dave Hause (The Loved Ones) and Tony Sly (No Use For A Name) have also tried their hands at acoustic solo careers with less impressive results. They tend to rely on the formula that has become the blueprint of acoustic performance. Stripped down songs, soft and sensitive vocals, and a conspicuous lack of energy are some of the elements these three have implemented to turn themselves into almost comical cliches. The results leave us wondering if the songs come from the heart or a desire to be seen as a deep, serious song writer capable of more than two minutes of power chords.

Where Cape, Hause and Sly fail, Frank Turner succeeds. Turner is a British singer/songwriter and former lead singer of Million Dead. When the band broke up in 2005 he decided to play a few solo shows to keep busy. It didn't take long for Turner to realize that he enjoyed it more than being in a band. He has stayed extremely busy as a solo artist ever since (although he is accompanied by a full band on all of his records and most of his shows he is still considered a solo act). Last year he released his third record Poetry of the Deed and it happens to be my favorite album of 2009.

Frank Turner released his debut full length Sleep Is for the Week in 2007 but really hit his stride a year later with his follow up album Love Ire & Song. It was on this record that Turner found his sound and perfected his craft. 2009's Poetry picks up where Love left off and leaves one wondering how it is possible to make three records in three years and keep up the rigorous touring schedule that Turner is known for without sacrificing the sophistication of the music and the quality of the performance.

It is this turbulent, frantic pace that seems to drive Turner. Unlike his counterparts and predecessors who seem to thrive on the tranquility the change to acoustic/folk rock offers, Frank Turner has retained that punk rock energy and isn't afraid to let it shine through in his music. In the chorus of the fan favorite "Photosynthesis" Turner proudly proclaims "I won't sit down/And I won't shut up/But most of all I will not grow up". In the soon to be classic "The Road" he writes "I've felt old before my time but now I keep the age away by burning up the miles and by filling up my days...I face the horizon, everywhere I go. I face the horizon, the horizon is my home."

Turner's energy and spirit are perhaps best captured on "Dan's Song". While many performers have used the undemanding formula of using vocals and acoustic guitar to convey nostalgia, regret and trepidation, Frank Turner utilized this model and added energy and unadulterated passion. He takes the typical soft, simple melody found in most tedious acoustic ballads and plays it with the aggression of Greg Ginn and the sincerity of Ian Mackaye. When combined with smart, intrinsic lyrics Turner turns what otherwise would be a slow tempo, unoriginal confession into an upbeat introspection that will leave you in awe that anyone could summarize such complicated feelings so perfectly.

Here are a few of Frank Turner's best songs. There are so many more but these should give an idea of what he is all about.

"Long Live The Queen"

"The Road"

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"Photosynthesis"