Frank Turner

Campfire Punkrock EP

[4/5]

Frank Turner used to front Million Dead, a British hardcore aggregate who decided to hang it up after four years of semi-obscurity. These days, Turner may have traded a wall of amps for an acoustic guitar, but on his American debut, Campfire Punkrock, he comes off more sincere than any grop of neophyte smash-the-system wannabes. Although there are some full band arrangements, Turner’s at his best when he’s by himself, decrying the sins of his elders (“Thatcher Fucked The Kids”) or his own (“Casanova Lament”). On “The Ballad Of Me And My Friends,” he intones, “We’re going nowhere but we’re seeing all the sights,” before leading a gang chorus of “And we’re definitely going to hell/But we’ll have all the best stories to tell.” Such sentiments should endear Turner to a new generation of anarcho-crusties, as well as said fans’ Billy Bragg-lovin’ parents. (WELCOME HOME)Jason Pettigrew