Frank Turner
Poetry of the Dead
Epitaph
Frank Turner may just be one more hardcore kid who decided to soothe his vocal chords and pick up an acoustic guitar to bare his soul to the masses, but this dude was in a band that most folks have never heard of. Million Dead? Ring a bell? A little Googling reveals that they existed for about 5 years, way on the other side of the Atlantic (in the UK, that is). Unlike his acoustic punk cronies – Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, Jim Ward of Sparta to name but a few – Turner has the advantage of moderate anonymity. His Epitaph debut Poetry of the Dead is not without its flaws, but these slight slips are charming in their sincerity.
Switching between coffee shop crooning to tambourine-shakin’ blue collar rock, he keeps the mood lively and comes off like a cross between Flogging Molly, Billy Bragg, and Rise Against’s acoustic work. At the core of Turner’s poetry is a Celtic flavor that will satisfy the Guinness drinkers in the midst, and lyrics like Stand up, Sons of Liberty/ And fight for what you own/ Stand up, Sons of Liberty/ Fight Fight for your homes (from “Sons of Liberty”) are sure to inspire a shout-along or twenty in the bars across the land.
Frank Turner: http://www.frank-turner.com
