Punk has taken the heart of Frank Turner once more and his fine turns on FTHC leave no one behind. Frank Turner Hardcore. Nine albums in and Turner could not have picked a more apt title for his work here. Non Serviam blends furious Christmas woes, religious wobblers and brutal, thrashy guitars and the bordering emo-pop screams in a frenetic, well-paced piece. Turner has provided here one of the very few examples of successful art attempting to understand the post-COVID atmosphere of life, entertainment and gigging. Listeners are in safe hands as the Be More Kind singer-songwriter takes aim at the frustrating elements of returning to touring with so many venues closing, and so many people coming to terms with the next steps of gigging.
The Gathering does that as well as can be. On-the-nose and rightly so, with keen lyrical moments displaying the love Turner has for his touring schedule and the frustrations of social distancing. It feels fresh, though, even years on from the lockdown beginnings. The Gathering is as much a lockdown song as it is a love song though and that is a credit to the well-layered meanings Turner gives off time and time again. Settling in well after that is expected though, and Turner begins to lose that punk explosion and settles into the aftershock of that well-meaning, powerful statement. Turner has been consistent with keeping the meaning of his music as the core for listening, and FTHC continues that well-meaning tradition.
Openness is the clear intention of Turner and has served him and his fans well for over a decade. Haven’t Been Doing So Well is an obvious conclusion to that receptive back and forth. Untainted Love continues that with reflective prose and a run-through of prior addictions and the feeling it gives. That punk power openness is not asking for pity, as Fatherless focuses well, but asks for those with similar situations, of different backgrounds, to understand and come together. Those traditional inflections filter through with the likes of Miranda and A Wave Across A Bay, confidently personal tracks that layout, in earnest, what Turner has been up to. But FTHC, as with much of Turner’s music, has a healthy dynamic to it and the connection made with the audience. Perhaps that is because of the truthfulness at the heart of it.
Consistency is key for FTHC, and while those hardcore tones ebb away into some softer post-punk tones, the effort Turner pushes through, yet again, is resounding. An incredibly fun album, a key to unlocking the post-pandemic feeling. Turner is one of the few to successfully do so. He tackles it, as ever, with an unapologetic honesty and a desire to put himself across as his music allows. Crucial, enjoyable consistency that features some solid mixes and captures the continued efforts of Turner. They are as strong as his previous works, perhaps better because not only has that openness served well once more but it has served in a time of country-wide need. Impossible to extract the self from the likes of The Work and The Gathering, Turner pushes on time and time again with upbeat, folk punk pieces.
