With his as-yet-untitled fourth album slated for a Spring release, ‘Rock & Roll’ serves as a tantalising appetite-whetter for those in need of some new Frank Turner material. Composed of five new tracks, only one of which will double up on the forthcoming full-length (the riotous new live anthem ‘I Still Believe’); ‘Rock & Roll’ is a self-explanatory but satisfying twenty minutes of Frank’s signature folk-pop.
For the most part, there are no huge surprises here. ‘I Still Believe’ is a textbook FT anthem, propelled by the crowd vocals recorded throughout 2010’s festival appearances. With its repetitive lead mantra, it gets under the skin much as ‘I Knew Prufrock…’ or ‘The Road’ have done on past releases. From there, ‘Pass It Along’ mellows the tone before hitting back with another storming final chorus, while the melodrama of ‘Rock & Roll Romance’ reminds us that Frank isn’t just about the big, bad radio hits. With the ‘The Next Round’ rounding things off in a suitably bleary-eyed and rapturous fashion, ‘Rock & Roll’ is a varied and comforting indication that Frank has by no means forgotten the scope of his abilities.
Frank Turner‘s career is something of an enigma in today’s music industry. The days of Million Dead‘s limited appeal are long gone and the man has risen to heights that five years ago, nobody would have ever expected. Three-and-a-half albums in, and ‘Rock & Roll’ confirms that Frank’s consistent ability to please is far from waning.
Bring on the new album.
ANDY RITCHIE