So, as a Frank Turner fan from his previous album, come 2008 I greatly awaited his second, and most recent release – ‘Love, Ire and Song’. I had heard a couple of the tracks, such as ‘Photosynthesis’ when I saw him live for the second time, at the Park in Peterborough late 2007, and had great expectations, which weren’t to be let down. In a run up for the album release, he asked for loads of people to stick stickers around which said “Frank Turner is coming back, Look Busy” which since I was in London around that time, I put a few around on the underground, and one neatly placed on Marble Arch. In return for this Frank sent round a pre-album freebie, which contained a couple of demos, and a cover of ‘You are my Sunshine’ which had featured on a split vinyl he did in 2007.

So, March came, and I rushed to HMV and hunted it out, Frank was strangely placed in the Metal section, so it took a minute for me to find him. There it sat, not in a normal case, its one of those cardboard ones that fold open, this is something I don’t really like, since I have the tendency to break cases and bits, so like to be able to just change the sleeves over, something you cant do it you rip one of these in half.

I didn’t have a CD player on me, so had to wait until I got home that night to first listen to it, but decided to read the lyrics which were included on the bus home, trying to imagine how the songs might sound, I couldn’t. But the lyrics looked great, and was eager to get home.

The Album

I knew Prufrock before he got Famous

Let’s begin at the beginning, the first track kicks in with vocals and a casual strum of the guitar, and gradually builds momentum as the backing band kick in, the song is about the music business, and how some people don’t make it, so give up, with the sidelines of a song about life, the lyrics are very good, and the song flows extremely well, but not as catchy as some of the later songs.

Reasons not to be an Idiot

This song managed to receive a great amount of Radio One airtime, so much so that some people knew the words, even if they didn’t know it was Frank. It’s a great folk-rock song, and is quite jovial. Lyrically well written, especially some of the verses, the one which goes:

He's not as clever as he likes to think
He's just ambitious with his arguing
He's crap at dancing, yeah and he can't hold his drink
Deep down he's just like everybody else

Is probably my favourite, since its one I spose describes me… albeit I am rather less big-headed that I used to be, and rather than not being able to hold my drink its just that I drink inordinate quantities, but nonetheless..

Photosynthesis

The first single from the album, which has a funny little music video with a load of primary school kids in. The song itself is really catchy, the music has a toe-tapping rhythm to it, and the chorus sticks on your mind. The lyrics are about life, and about making the most of it, living it to the full. It was the first song I heard from the album – seeing Frank perform it, and when I saw him live last time it was like an anthem, with everyone singing along.

Substitute

Just a guitar led song, which musically sounds a bit like Johnny Cash’s version of ‘Solitary Man’, to begin with at least. It is a song which would have fitted in quite well on the last album, and is about Frank’s search for love, the lyrics are very well written, and it’s a great ballad, making a couple of references to famous lines about love: “love is all you need” from the Beatles song, and “if music be the food of love”, from Twelfth Night, by Shakespeare.

Better Half

A slower paced song that the previous, again about love and finding the person who’s perfect for him, again lyrically it is good, albeit not the strongest on the album, it’s a simple song unlike a couple which impart advice, or give you something to relate to.

Love, Ire & Song

The title track from the album, and one initially I didn’t like, but has really grown on me, the music is initially simply guitar led, and sounds like some of the tracks from his previous album, but with more passion in his voice. It follows on a similar theme to “Once we were the Anarchists”, about how when younger you believe in more. Toward the end of the song, his band kicks in, and the pace picks up, it becomes a song of rebellion, and not giving in, and as with a couple of Frank’s other songs, is about living life.

Leave the morning to the Morning
Pain can be killed
With aspirin tablets and vitamin pills
But memories of hope and glorious defeat
Are a little bit harder to beat

Imperfect Tense

A very indie little number, much more mainstream than other tracks since it is much less folk. It’s fast paced, and was my original favourite track. The end verses spills passion from every perfectly written word, and in the end it fits in with the theme of wanting love again. I still think it is one of the best on the album.

To Take you Home

I am struggling to write about this song, while lyrically it is good, a simple ballad type song, telling the story of Frank’s life in the first verse and then about a girl he was with, and musically it has a nice feel, a refreshing evening feel. But the song doesn’t really strike any particular chords with me, I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, its just tolerated, with no particular feelings one way or another.

Long Live the Queen

Released as a download only single to raise money for Breast Cancer awareness, it is about Frank’s friend Lexy, who died in September 2007. The lyrics tell the story of Lex dying and the message that she would impart upon them, telling them that they should live on and instead of being so depressed, instead party and remember her how she was. It’s a really beautiful song, and musically very good too.

We live to dance another day,
It's just now we have to dance for one more of us,
So stop looking so damn depressed,
And sing with all our hearts,
Long live the Queen

A Love worth Keeping

Musically it has a very laid back feel to it, a sort of calm sea, the lyrics were written for the music, rather than the other way round. It has a smoothness to most of the song, but picks up with a minute to go, gradually becoming slightly heavier, and Frank sounds like he’s really missing this person, the passion in his voice which trails of into the music is very strong.

St. Christopher is Coming Home

My favourite track, has a really jolly guitar tune to it. It is all about being away all the time due to Frank’s touring, and how he misses all his friends, but is written in a way many can relate to it, since it is more about being away from your friends full stop. Really catchy tune.

When the evening casts it's shadows on the corners of my days
And I am old and I am settled in the place where I will stay
When my wandering meanderings have finally reached their end
Yeah whatever else maybe may my friends remember me

Jet Lag

A very slow number, which was originally suppose to be a fast rocky song, but they couldn’t get it right, and it ended up becoming a simple piano piece, which adds greatly to the feel of the song, again about Frank being away from home all the time. It is a melancholy song, and has a real sense of atmosphere to it. As Frank said himself: “It's a song about distance and change and it seemed to take the subjects of all the other songs and wrap them up neatly. “

Summary

The one thing you find with most artists these days, is that they struggle with album #2, they seem to loose momentum, and the feeling of the album just isn’t right, but Frank has got passed that, and in fact made an album I think is much better than his debut. This album holds much more passion than his previous, which is much more representative of him live. The songs hold their meanings, and as an altogether album, gives me the feeling of Summer (weird maybe?). What I mean is, it has a free feeling, doing what you like to make you happy, living life to the full, and getting where you want, which I associate to the feeling of summer.

While there is the odd weak hit, I think that the album is consistent, and features a good range of songs, from fast paced rocky tracks, to the slower more melancholy tunes, and it carries the themes of distance and love throughout, along with making the most of yourself. And that is exactly what Frank wanted:

“Two different themes run through this album, distance and optimism. I've been far away from my loved ones, touring more than ever, but I'm also more confident in my worldview. And angry; definitely more angry.”

I strongly recommend this album to pretty much everyone, its not for any specific age, and can be loved by young and old, being something that both me and my mum listen to in the car with her not moaning about. It is an excellent album, and now all I am looking forward to is album number three which is due out at the end of the year.

You can grab a copy of it for £6.99 from play.com.