It’s hard to believe that Frank Turner was once lead singer of underground punk outfit MillionDead. He doesn’t look like it. He looks like he should be a purveyor of Folk, and his latest offering ‘Love, Ire & Song’ is exactly that. It’s diverse, and the content of the songs is exactly what it says on the tin.

Frank Turner takes us on a trail through being an early 20 year old – give it to any university graduate with an interest in acoustic guitars and I’m sure they would agree. 'Love, Ire & Song' takes us on a dreamy romantic journey through the energetic boastfulness of ‘I Knew Prufrock Before He Was Famous’ to the lovelorn ‘Better Half’, and from the messed up rocked out ‘Imperfect Tense’ to the beautiful, heartfelt ‘St Christopher is Coming Home’.

If you listen carefully, you’ll hear some clever lyrics, that might sound simple, but Frank Turner weaves them and crafts them in a way that says what you’ve always wanted to say, but never found the right words to do it. Lyrics such as "all my friends are getting married, mortgages and pension plans” and “when no ones yet explained to me exactly what's so great about slaving 50 years away on something that you hate”, (the single – ‘Photosynthesis’) says exactly what we’re all thinking in this current depressing climate.

Personally, ‘if music is the food of love then I’d be a fat, romantic slob’ is my favourite lyric on the album – taken from the song ‘Substitute’ an optimistic ballad about trying to find love but always substituting it for music instead.

The album does drag somewhat towards the end, and somewhat tails off with the piano-ballad ‘Jet Lag’ but if you can stick it till the end, it’s definitely worth it.

http://www.myspace.com/frankturner