Frank Turner - Be More Kind

By:  Elizabeth Wiltshire

Frank Turner's Glorious Return to Politics in Be More Kind

"Let's make America great again, by making racists ashamed again," sings Frank Turner on his politically-charged album, Be More Kind.  Turner's never been one to shy away from current events, but it has been a few albums since he has acknowledged the current political state of the world.  While 2013's Tape Deck Heart and 2015's Positive Songs for Negative People are full of self-reflection and incredibly strong albums, it is refreshing to once again hear Frank's political side.  (After all, who doesn't love "Thatcher Fucked the Kids"?).

However, instead of taking a stand to defend his own beliefs or sing about division, Turner wears a positive message of unity and tolerance on his sleeve.  The eleventh track on the album, "Common Ground," addresses this the most out of all the songs.  The lyrics, "If there's hope to be found / We will find it in our common ground / And if that ground is to be reached / There are walls around us to be breached" are simple, yet effective in re-establishing the tone of the album in the second-to-last song.

Overall, Be More Kind is an incredibly strong album, despite focusing on a slightly softer occasionally pop-driven sound.  But the base elements of rock-infused-folk are present in every song, allowing for Frank to evolve while still staying true to his roots.  Some songs feel more out of place than others, such as "There She Is" (an unexpected, yet brilliant crafted love song) and "Little Changes" (once again impressive, but more upbeat than what some fans might be used to haring).  Other songs, such as "1993",  "Brave Face," and "21st Century Survival Blues" have the classic Frank Turner sound to them, and they could easily fit in with past albums.

Smart, quotable lyrics combined with an evolved sound and skillfully interwoven themes result in yet another reliable album by Frank Turner.  In the closing song of the album, "Get It Right," Turner sings:  "Between life and death / We'll find the time / To get it right." He isn't lying... Frank certainly got it right with Be More Kind.  Be sure to check out Frank Turner's Be More Kind tour this summer with support from Lucero, the Menzingers, and Homeless Gospel Choir!  Tickets and dates can be found [ HERE ].

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