Punk doesn't typically lend itself to an optimistic worldview, but Frank Turner has found a way to cultivate his post-hardcore roots into a sunny brand of folksy rock 'n' roll with punk influences. The singer-songwriter — from Winchester, England, and formerly of the band Million Dead — has been building his talents and audience over the past decade, using everything from solo acoustic shows to full-band LPs. Turner's latest record, England Keep My Bones, blends punk-inspired beats with touching homages to his homeland, and finds him setting blunt poetry to brilliantly catchy melodies.
"I Still Believe," released as a single last year but finalized on England Keep My Bones, is a euphoric ode to the unifying power of rock 'n' roll; it calls for solidarity among "punks and skins and journeymen" and anyone who's ever been moved by the songs heard in "bedrooms, bars and bunker squats." Not all music is created equal, but it's all part of one grand artistic scheme; it's easy to imagine "I Still Believe" being chanted in the same bars where struggling musicians "make miracles for minimum wage."
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