Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart (Album Review)

I've appreciated Frank Turner's music for quite a few years. I've enjoyed most all of his releases. Still Love, Ire, And Song is at the top of my favorite of his albums and it's the album of his I always return to listen to. Turner's newest album Tape Deck Heart might actually give Love, Ire, And Song some competition.

Tape Deck Heart is quite possibly the best overall batch of songs Turner has ever written. Lyrically it's fantastic. I can pick apart each song and find some memorable lyrics and I feel like with this album Turner finally has accomplished the most complete release of his career.

Production wise the album sounds great. Everything sounds so good and it's polished to perfection. The production makes Turner's often times stripped down songs feel full and vibrant. It is such a smooth transition and never feels to jarring or out of place when the full band parts of songs kick in. Vocally Turner sounds spot on. The melody and performance he's accomplished vocally on the album is really well done and the emotion in his voice feels so genuine. "Tell Tale Signs" is easily one of my favorite songs of Turner's lyrically and musically. It's one of the high points of the album.

A lot is riding on this album with Turner moving to Interscope for this album. In some ways this album reminds me of when Dashboard Confessional released A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Scar. Not so much in the way it sounds but in the way it felt to me as a long time fan when Dashboard finally accomplished that album and moved into a new league. Oddly enough both albums feature cassette tapes on the cover. I will definitely recommend this one. It is very easy to say this will make my best of list at the end of the year.