Recovery (Single) - Frank Turner

I only recently came to discover Frank Turner, about a year and a half ago. I discovered the song ‘Isabel’ from his third album “Poetry Of The Deed” which was enough to spark my curiosity, and shortly after I bought that selfsame album. There was a lot of good tracks on there, and because of my ‘late arrival’ to the Frank Turner bandwagon, the rest of his albums were inexpensive and easy to get hold of. I have to say that “Love, Ire and Song” is the best of his albums to date, and although he has released consistently solid material since then, he set himself the difficult task of surpassing that one (something I don’t think he’ll be able to do).

I am currently on the fence as to whether to buy his latest album “Tape Deck Heart” or not, because I am currently very short on money and even simple joys such as purchasing an album make me think twice. I’m sure the album is a good one – indeed the response from fans and critics has been almost universally positive – but I think I’ll have to wait until the album goes down in price before I add it to my collection. If someone can convince me that the album is an essential purchase, then by all means do so, and I’ll stop meandering.

In the meantime there is the lead single, ‘Recovery’ which is also the opening track from “Tape Deck Heart” which sets the tone for a ‘break-up’ album. Frank’s lyrical touch is unmistakable right from the start, telling the story from a first person perspective, detailing the depressive states of a break up and the regret-laden memories of simpler times. The backing group – The Sleeping Souls – add plenty of bombast to the track with pounding drums and fast guitars, all conjoining to give this song the lively, sing-a-long tone that is a mainstay of all Frank’s albums. It is a fun and enjoyable track, offsetting the darker lyrical content, one that I’ve listened to a bunch of times.

I'll write a review of the album eventually, if someone can convince me that it is worth the money.