When Frank Turner sings, “I’m trying to get better, because I haven’t been my best,” roughly five minutes into his sixth studio album, he lets on a little more than he would probably care to. The last record Turner put his name to, 2013’s Tape Deck Heart, was his most uninspired LP to date, suggesting the Wessex native had grown too comfortable in his own skin. That notion is almost instantly put to bed on Positive Songs – it’s quite literally the sound of Turner getting better.
This is a defiant record; one refusing to rest on foundations previously laid down and refusing to give up on the folk-punk dream. The Next Storm is triumphant, Silent Key is one of Turner’s best attempts at storytelling to date, and Out of Breath is the most punk song the man has performed since Punk Rock Saved My Life.
We almost lost him for a minute there, but Turner’s made a considerable turnaround. Positive Songs for Negative People is his best record in years and an exceptional showcase of how rewarding his music can be when his heart is in it.
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
