Frank Turner – England Keep Your Bones

On a sweltering July afternoon, Frank Turner sat on a chair in front of me, his head in his hands. Sweating profusely, he told me of his encounters with strong Canadian beer the evening before. He looked to be two small steps from the grave. When his turn came round the songwriter’s circle, he stood tall, slung his guitar behind his back and delivered a haunting a cappella English folk song. The crowd was speechless as they soaked in the beautiful moment that they had just experienced. One year later, I smile as I hear his recorded version of English Curse. While it is not as powerful as it was that afternoon, it still emphasizes Frank Turner’s wonderful voice and songwriting skills.

From start to finish, Turner’s fourth album is an instantly likeable hit. Fans of his acoustic sing along songs still have a few classic style songs to look forward to (I Still Believe, If Ever I Stray), while he experiments with his sound in others. The introduction to album opener Eulogy begins like the music from an old Disney movie, before launching into his defiant proclamation. He follows this up with the classic rock sound of Peggy Sang the Blues, sitting somewhere between Fake Problems and the Band. The album closer is one of very few gospel songs I have ever heard that is preaching atheism. If I was pressed to find a weak spot on the album this would be it, but only because I feel like The Riot Before perfected this sentiment on Words Written Over Coffee, so this feels unnecessary.

Throughout the album, Turner wears his inspirations on his sleeve. Whether it is name dropping legendary story tellers like Ernest Hemingway and Johnny Cash or borrowing a lyric from Springsteen’s Born to Run, he gives listeners a blueprint for his loveable sound. It is no surprise that his “folk songs for the modern age” sound like a cross between Woodie Guthrie (One Foot Before the Other) and Undertones’ Teenage Kicks (I Still Believe), both of whom he also mentions.

The beauty of this album is that it blends the simple acoustic sound that fans fell in love with on songs like Photosynthesis, with full fledged musical compositions that utilize his band to the fullest. ­­On songs likeRedemption and the Ben Folds like piano pop of I Am Disappeared, he breaks out from the acoustic singer/songwriter box with full force. While I originally fell in love with his simple acoustic sounds, I can’t help but feel like his previous albums sound like they were leading up to this fully realized sound.

This is by far Frank Turner’s best collection of songs, although the change may upset some fans. Much like those who cannot appreciate Against Me! during both their Vivida Vis and White Crosses eras, there will be those who do not appreciate his experimentation here. I feel bad for those people. I can’t even decide on one single favorite song. The first half of 2011 has contained many strong releases, but I have a feeling that come December, this album will be sitting near the top of my favorites from the year.