Another snow day leads to another long commute without my car, but it also means I got in some quality music listening time. I love the commute!
Disc 1529 is…. Obviously
Artist: Frank Turner
Year of Release: 2019
What’s up with the Cover? I used to know two fellas back when I was a kid. One was an accomplished martial artist and would sometimes decide out of the blue to aggressively practice his kung fu moves. The other (much smaller) fella would sometimes get very excited by this and throw himself into the whirling limbs only to be dashed violently to the side. He never seemed to mind this outcome and would just pick himself up and do it all over again. No one ever knew the reason. I’ve always assumed…adventure?
That is not what is happening on this album cover, but I would caution anyone who encountered a goddess/superhero posing powerfully in front of an eclipse like this to not throw yourself into whatever is going on. First of all it is rude, and second of all you might get a bloody lip for your trouble.
But I digress…
How I Came To Know It: I’m a big Frank Turner fan. Not “follow him to all 40 shows” kind of level, but definitely “follow him to 2 or 3 shows as part of a holiday” kind of level. This was just me buying his latest release. His next is due out this February, and I’m looking forward to it. If I’m lucky and the pandemic relents, maybe there’ll even be a tour date later in the year.
How It Stacks Up: I have eight Frank Turner albums. I like them all but one of them has to be last, and this is it. So…#8.
Ratings: 3 stars
Frank Turner’s “No Man’s Land” had me thinking about Swedish metal band Sabaton. Not because Turner’s traded in his folk-rock guitar stylings for European power metal, although that would be interesting to hear. Rather, it is because Sabaton loves a good theme. In their case, they sing almost exclusively about warfare, but sometimes they’re so committed to accurately telling the story, they lose the song for the theme.
“No Man’s Land” suffers a similar fate. Turner’s chosen theme is remarkable women. Some heroes, some villains and some in-between, but all remarkable. I love a record with a theme, and this is a good one, but while Turner is one of rock and roll’s great storytellers the quality here is not as consistent as his previous efforts.
There are still some gems, most notably the album’s single, “Sister Rosetta.” This tells the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who recorded gospel music in the thirties and forties while playing blues guitar. Her choice of instrument, the way she played, and the host of people influenced by her sound helped create what know today as rock and roll. As they say in rock and roll speak, ‘that’s fucking cool.’ So is the song, that has a rhythm and groove that pays homage to Tharpe, while staying within Frank Turner’s folk-rock wheelhouse. The song is inspirational and catchy in equal measure.
“A Perfect Wife” is another standout, a light-hearted birdsong of a tune, that belies the fact it is about serial killer Nannie Doss. The juxtaposition of the happy delivery of the chorus of “oh, oh, oh, I haven’t been a perfect wife” with the broader story in the verses is inspired.
My last favourite is “Eye of the Day” which tells the story of Mata Hari. Turner’s tune is a mournful and introspective first-person exploration of the character, painting colour, meaning and nuance into someone that is often relegated to nothing more than “German spy” in the annals of history. Her life and the circumstances of her conviction are both worthy of greater attention, and Frank brings out complexity and tragedy of the tale without being excessively explanatory.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case on “No Man’s Land”. A number of songs feel too crammed with detail, and while the stories of the various women are universally interesting to explore, the same can’t be true for the songs Turner honours them with. None are terrible, but many could benefit from stronger melodies or fewer facts.
I was also disappointed with Turner’s new recording of “Silent Key”. The song is the story of Christa McAuliffe’s death in the Challenger disaster and is one of my favourites from his 2015 album “Positive Songs for Negative People” (reviewed back at Disc 791). The original album had two versions (electric and acoustic) and both are heartbreaking and beautiful. Turner opts for a softer more hopeful delivery on “No Man’s Land” and the lack of all the underlying pain takes away from what should be one of the record’s best.
Despite my criticisms, Frank Turner remains one of my favourite artists of all time. I’ve seen him live more than any other band, and when concerts are allowed I’ll see him again. I am equally enamoured of his discography, which is chock full of brilliance. In some respects, “No Man’s Land” suffers by comparison to these other records, but don’t assume that means it is bad. It may not be my favourite, but I still like it plenty. Moreover it will have you scouring the internet and bookstores for more stories about these remarkable women. That’s an outcome I expect Frank would have preferred over a gushing review anyway.
Best tracks: Sister Rosetta, A Perfect Wife, Eye of the Day
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