一聽音樂網

On 15th January 2007 Frank Turner releases his long awaited solo album ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ through Xtra Mile Recordings. Following the cult success of his debut solo EP ‘Campfire Punkrock’ – which garnered fevered support from Steve Lamacq, John Kennedy and all areas of the music press - Frank has delivered an album of inspiring punk protest songs and alt. folk/country sing-a-longs. Recorded in a home studio in Oxford with Dive Dive’s Ben Lloyd, ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ perfectly captures Frank’s past 12 months in brutally honest and heartfelt detail. From the split of previous band Million Dead, to triumphantly supporting The Automatic on their recent huge UK tour, ‘Sleep…’ documents the highs and lows with astounding lyrical and storytelling talent. While album opener ‘The Real Damage’ tells of the perils of wasted weekends and ‘Once We Were Anarchists’ and ‘Ladies Of London Town’ provide wry political and social observations, the album also explores the dark corners of heartbreak and loneliness with the angry ‘Worst Things Happen At Sea’ and then the delicate ‘A Decent Cup Of Tea’. Running through the album’s core however, is a sharp sense of humour, and of course Frank’s staunch punkrock ethics; neither more apparent than on ‘Back In The Day’; a fast-paced, nostalgic look at UK hardcore, played on the banjo.

The past 12 months have seen Frank tour continuously, in the UK and across Europe, building a now solid, devoted and ever-increasing fan-base. His shows are becoming somewhat legendary, and this album wouldn’t be complete unless this important aspect of Frank’s solo work was captured in full. Album closer ‘The Ballad Of Me And My Friends’ does this beautifully with its live recording of the crowd singing every word at the sold out London Barfly gig back in September – a gig that has since set Frank firmly at the forefront of this burgeoning UK alt. folk scene.