Frank Turner – Do One Review

After saying no thank you to some new music, Frank Turner is now using those northern English charms to rid himself of those who care not for his work. His punk tones are still simmering away though with a rock edge like the old days. Turner has a gift for it and long may it continue under the guise of a wider, rising folk appeal. He was ahead of the curve and likely always will be. Armed with a guitar and some advice for his listeners, the road to Undefeated continues. It is never easy to follow up on your best album, and for Turner, it means sounding off after the incredibly effective FTHC. But with an earnest message once more, it is hard not to give Do One a chance.  

Do so, then. Explosive electrics filter through after the promise of a one man and his guitar situation are torpedoed early on. Fairly standard pacing from the classic Turner songbook yet the vague optimism is from a good place. It does not hit as well as it should, perhaps because of those blurry examples. Turner has certainly taken his fair share of lumped criticism and expels it here on Do One, but gives no keen example of how he fought back beyond turning it into strength. The “how” is missing, and crucial detail is lost. For a message which hopes to empower, there is a sincere lack of commitment. Do One marks a shaky mixture of old sounds and new tact, the looser thoughts and hopeful predictions for the future battered by the “do, do, do,” repetition. 

Consider the likes of Recovery or England Keep My Bones and hear the strengths of Turner. Specifics matter. His natural ability to paint a scene and keep the mind ticking over, transporting a listener to where Turner finds himself, is one of his finest abilities. No luck for Do One, then, which hopes to lash out at. rather than emotionally identifying with, the problem at hand. Turner kicks on with something new, or rather, a retrofitting of the talented tones which brought him into the spotlight. Reconnecting with that energy is a lacklustre time for Do One, which lacks the exemplary highs of Turner at his best – and he is at his best when he dishes out experience instead of these generalisations.  

But Do One still has character to it and an undeniable energy. What little we can take from this single is the unremitting positivity which flows on. Optimism knows no bounds and for Turner to strike out with hopes of success for his listener is a fine way to nosedive. What should be a defiant track on standing up to those wishing to put you down is instead washed of its uniqueness, a seemingly indifferent and empty endeavour built on its instrumentals. All well and good if the instrumentals are up for it, but something is missing from this Turner piece. There is a lacking rage despite the clear need for it in the words and message provided. A bit of a miss, but what is never in doubt is the earnestness of how Turner sees the world.