1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A joy of poetic, acoustic music..., April 1, 2009
This review is from: Sleep Is for the Week (Audio CD)
Frank Turner is brilliant, and his album is thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable. If you read his Myspace page, it explains that after Million Dead, he decided to look at the other end of his musical influences - folk and country - and to try to show people that it's possible to be a singer-songwriter without sounding like James Blunt. I must say he does it with great success.
Sleep Is For The Week is an album about being a man in his 20s, trying to make a living as a musician in London, written with a real sense of poetry and a good deal of wit. And whilst Turner's voice doesn't have any extraordinary qualities - by that I mean it doesn't necessarily have any instantly recognisable qualities - his range is very impressive (as I discovered when I tried to sing one or two of the songs), and his lilting melodies are infectious.
The highlights for me are the opening and closing tracks. The Real Damage is an ode to partying in London - the classic instance of emerging from a house and searching for bus stops or landmarks - and bounces along with a twist at the end. The Ballad of Me and My Friends is an apparently live recording about the problems and benefits of the London music scene. And both have more than their fair share of feeling and of wit.
Turner is an observational lyricist, and one who sings with such heartfelt sincerity that it'll send shivers down your spine. The album, with only a couple of instances involving anything like a full band, leaves his songs exposed. They in turn, seem to expose a lot of Turner's inner thoughts. Those things together make for a remarkable album, and one I can't recommend highly enough.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful progression of folky punk tunes, April 18, 2008
This review is from: Sleep Is for the Week (Audio CD)
I won't go into a dissection of each song, nor do I have some tirade about the meanings and references.
What I will give you is a sincere endorsement of an earnest, vulnerable songwriter exposing his soul for your listening pleasure. And a pleasure it is. Most songs are just Frank and an acoustic guitar and incredible lyrics.
You will not be disappointed in this album.
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