Tape Deck Heart

Product Information

Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. The deluxe edition of the album contains six additional tracks, with Turner noting, "Track listing an album is a fine art, and usually a pretty agonising process. People say he "pretends to be punk" too but I really don't think he does these days, he's getting older and more mature and is leaving that part of him behind and it shows (and his lyrics suggest as much). Tape Deck Heart is another amazing chapter in the bible – a little fuller in sound, a little more tinged with experience – but what never changes is that nobody sings more powerfully than Frank about the influence of regret, about the grip of the past, and about how often we make mistakes because we have nothing with which to communicate but broken instruments.

Tape Deck Heart | Sputnikmusic Review: Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart | Sputnikmusic

Regarding the band's experience in Los Angeles, Turner stated, "It’s such a cliché – bands reach a certain level of success, go to L. Tape Deck Heart isn’t as immediate as England Keep My Bones, but it’s just as good (and might even be better, although I haven’t decided for sure yet). Over its 40 years in business, PIAS has grown to be one of the largest independently-owned music groups in the world, carving out its own in-house recorded music division PIAS [Recordings]. A lot of growing pains were evident on that record; Frank tried a lot of new things and succeeded at most of them, but some of the experiments didn’t work out so well (“Richard Divine,” anyone?Recorded at Hive Mind Studios in Brooklyn, NY, with the help of producer/arrangers Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both members of Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires) and crack team of a-list musicians, his upcoming album blends heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with sophistication, leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment. The deluxe version adds five bonus tracks, including the humorously titled "Wherefore Art Thou Gene Simmons?

Tape Deck Heart (2013, Yellow Splatter Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart (2013, Yellow Splatter

The first single from the album was "Recovery", which was released on 5 March 2013 and the music video was released the same day. One day this will all be over," he sings with desperation and relief on the remarkable "Recovery," which turns into a barroom rocker worthy of Bruce Springsteen, The Gaslight Anthem, or Titus Andronicus. It’s also got a narrative swing to it that makes for one of Frank’s best lyrical achievements; the bridge in particular is amazing, as Frank sings, “Love is about all the changes you make and not just three small words.There are some pretty standard criticisms lobbed Frank’s way these days – he’s too cheesy, he “pretends” to be punk, he’s too positive (whatever that means), he’s past his short-lived prime – and I’m sure people could come up with some halfway decent arguments to support those. Losing Days" and "The Way I Tend to Be" rock and stay dirty despite Turner's naturally pristine voice. I’m glad I've had the opportunity to do the extended version for this one – all these songs belong together. I was nervous about recording outside the UK because my music sounds English and I like that, but in fact, it didn’t make any difference.

Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner on Apple Music ‎Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner on Apple Music

Comparing the album's lyrical and thematic content to his previous album, England Keep My Bones (2011), Turner noted: "This record isn't about England at all — I did that last time round. in October 2012, with his road band The Sleeping Souls and producer Rich Costey (Muse, Foster the People). This is much more of a traditional rock record than anything else Frank has done, and that’s a good thing because it means that it’s probably the most consistent album he’s made. He made me do 42 vocal takes at one point, with the encouragement ‘I know there’s something in there'.Despite any influences I can discern, this album is still vintage Frank Turner, which is especially clear in a song like “Anymore”: a man and his guitar, singing about how he doesn’t love somebody anymore and about how disconcertingly easy it is to hurt someone when you’ve decided that’s what you need to do. Fergus Coulbeck who featured on Turners 3rd album Poetry of the Deed was quoted saying he would never work with Turner again following a dispute over baked goods and refreshments available while recording Tape Deck Heart. Every other line is a clanger, the instrumentation is woefully uninspired and he even tries to do a falsetto. If there is a certificate we’ve missed out on then it’s probably for a 50 metre swim badge at the local swimming baths.

Tape Deck Heart [RSD23] | Banquet Records Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart [RSD23] | Banquet Records

Over the last few months he has disarmed packed rooms of rowdy concert goers, leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. Regarding Costey's production, Turner noted, "I will say that I think the production is a massive step up for me. An unlikely success story, Frank Turner's brand of politicised folk songsmithery has turned him into something of a household name.Departing from Anglocentric lyrics (except on The Fisher King Blues and Broken Piano) and, to some degree, from punk, it’s his most accessible, and arguably strongest, album to date. The only song on the last two albums that even has hints of the "folk punk" shtick people pin on him is Four Simple Words. Furthermore, it was his first album recorded in full collaboration with The Sleeping Souls, and they were clearly still finding the rhythm as a band. I don’t miss cassettes, but I am of an age—like many of us—whose music listening life was defined by Walkmen [portable cassette players] and C90 tapes. We stayed at the Holiday Inn next door and didn’t finish until dark every day, so I scarcely saw the sun shine.