Frank Turner is Electric, Self-Reflective, Intimate and Excited on New Album FTHC
4.8 out of 5 stars
Frank Turner is a veteran of the rock scene and the punk rock community for many years now, and his new album FTHC is another feather in the cap of a career of good music.
When I first played the album, I heard the opening song “Non Serviam” and thought, “Holy shit, this song absolutely rocks, and I can’t wait to see what else is on this album.”
Now, I will say, that song is actually my favorite on the whole album, and one of my favorites of any artist this year so far. However, it is by no means the only good song on the album.
The next song “The Gathering” is a great song as well and talks about the reconnecting once the pandemic ends.
That’s followed by “Haven’t Been Doing So Well” which is an upbeat song that is pretty poppy (reminds me of The Barenaked Ladies in a lot of ways actually) that chronicles how it’s hard to live up to great expectations for your life.
Turner has been pretty open both in his music and via social media about his battles with mental health and his relationship with his father who is a transgender woman named Miranda - which is the title and subject of one of the songs on the album as well.
And in the song “Untainted Love” Turner talks about him overcoming drug addiction that nearly killed him.
The song “Fatherless” is probably one of the most revealing songs Turner has ever released, and it details how his father abandoned him, and he was sent to boarding school at 8 years old. However, his father was not around to show him how to be a man himself. He even has a conversation with Jesus who he claims has an overbearing father, and offers him condolences, but proffers the consolation that his dad at least cares about him. Pretty deep stuff.
The next song “Miranda” (as previously mentioned) is a coming-of-age song that details the reconciliation between Turner and his father. The song is incredibly personal and uplifting.
Another song that is incredibly and tragically personal is “A Wave Across A Bay” which is about Turner’s friend Scott Hutchinson from Frightened Rabbits who committed suicide in 2018. Turner talked about a lucid dream that inspired the song via his social media, and it is incredibly moving and an emotional tribute to a lost friend.
Turner proves he is one of the best singer-songwriters in the rock genre with this album. At times, he has to break rhythm a bit to fit a mouth full of words into a short section, but aside from those hurried lyrics, this whole album is damn near perfect.
It’s 14 songs of in your face, personal and emotion-driven rock music that makes you take notice from measure one.
This is a can’t miss record for 2022.