“Let’s inherit the earth, because no one else is taking it.” This is the opening line of the new single from Hampshire-based solo act Frank Turner ‘Try This At Home’, a song about encouraging people to make their own music. This is the fourth single to be taken from last year’s ‘Poetry of the Deed’, the third studio album by acoustic punk rocker and non-stop touring artist Turner. The release comes only a few weeks after his support slot on Green Day’s European tour, which included a date at Wembley Stadium, and this year’s Glastonbury Festival, during which Frank played a total of four sets.
Getting into the swing of things, Turner chose to celebrate the release of the single by combining it with two competitions: one to find the designer of the record’s cover art and another, more in line with the subject matter of the lyrics, to find the acts that will feature on the B-sides.
Unlike the folk/country rock of Frank’s previous solo offerings, ‘Try This At Home’ is probably closer in resemblance to the punk-rock influences that he has always worn on his sleeve. The track is a raucous Celtic punk song, reminiscent of Flogging Molly and the Pogues.
Since leaving the punk-rock band Million Dead in 2005, Turner has made himself a successful career as a purveyor of DIY rock music. In ‘Try This At Home’, he goes into more detail about what punk-rock means to him and about his belief that anyone is capable of writing good songs. “There’s no such thing as rock stars, there’s just people who play music,” he sings at one point. A perfect of example of his opinion that people should stop accepting the same old rubbish and start doing things themselves.
With a US tour this summer, more festival slots and his biggest UK tour to date, later in the year, 2010 is already set to be an incredible year for Frank Turner and this single marks the latest offering from possibly his most successful album so far. Once again, he has proved himself as one of the most impressive solo artists in the country. This is another example, alongside bands like the King Blues, of how the UK is apparently leading the way, yet again, in the ongoing evolution of punk-rock.
The winners of the B-side competition, by the way, were the Retrospective Soundtrack Players and Isaac Graham. If you want to find out what they sound like, however, you’ll have to buy the single.
Stereoboard Rating: 7/10
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