Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner

8.3/10 

Rated: A Kind of Magic 

With the first single of the album i thought  that it could be a repetition of old tracks and albums but I was wrong.  This album has two very marked sides: the one influenced by Pop and one that is influenced by Punk but those two genres are very well merged by the intermediary Rock And Roll. 

A slightly different sound from Frank Turner (solo) previous album this is less acoustic and folky and so much more influenced and closely to his other works/bands like Million Dead and Möngöl Hörde but with a little pop beat. Many songs have a very Pop-y style revealing also a new side of Mr. Turner (Losing Days,The Way I Tend To Be,Polaroid Picture,Time Machine) that have little twists that joint them with the most punk side of the album (Plain Sailing Weather,Four Simple Words) and it's rock and roll what pulls them together. Also there are many new sounds mixed to Frank Turner's allure like more piano that gives a lot like a saloon sensation, very charming (Oh Brother,Good & Gone); there's  more electric guitars, guitars and drums glisten more than in past works where voice was more relevant,in the way that drive you through the song, and sound a lot more modern (The Fisher King Blue) and much harder. 

The album is a bit to long so as for the songs but with the time it gets interesting and more likely to the style of previous records . At the beginning the English vibe is putted away and sounds more international, also is a little weak because songs tend to extend far too much, another new thing, and the magic gets a bit lost. As time passes the album turns more heavier as for music and feelings,more melancholia (Cowboy Chords) and cheerfulness that could be labeled as Brit-pop , there's a more personal sensation and more polished sound which are also an improvement,no that old stuff wasn't but is good to put  little more details.At moments it could resembles Weezer or Blue October trying to play folk because of the atmosphere but it's a lot better . 

The album is pretty well built,it is alternating tranquility and sweetness ( Tell Tale Signs ,Anymore,Wherefore Art Thou Gene Simmons) with fun and craziness (Recovery,We Shall Not Overcome). All have a nice little quirks (Undeveloped Film) of rock and roll and "darkness"/mischievousness/playfulness in the most Frank Turner way so the record is so powerful and encouraging, classic from FT, but now with a few more things. The only problem is that is too long that playing back to back with the previous records it would take the charm off. 

Recommend:The Way I Tend  Tell Tale Signs, Four Simple Words, Polaroid Picture, Anymore, Oh Brother,Broken Piano, Undeveloped Film,Cowboy Chords