★★★★
When Frank Turner sings, “I’m trying to get better, because I haven’t been my best” roughly five minutes into his sixth studio album, it lets on a little more than it would probably care to.
The last record Turner put his name to, 2013’s Tape Deck Heart, was his most uninspired LP to date, suggesting that perhaps the Wessex native had grown too comfortable in his own skin.
That notion is almost instantly put to bed on Positive Songs For Negative People – it’s quite literally the sound of Turner getting better. This is a defiant record; one that refuses to rest on foundations previously laid down and doesn’t give up the folk-punk dream. ‘The Next Storm’ is triumphant, ‘Silent Key’ is one of Turner’s best attempts at storytelling yet and ‘Out Of Breath’ is the most punk song the man has performed since ‘Back In The Day’. We almost lost him for a minute there, but he’s made a considerable turnaround.
Positive Songs For Negative People is Turner’s best record in years and an exceptional showcase of how much he can get out of his music when his heart is in it.
