Album Review ~ Honeyblood ~ Honeyblood

Hello!

Welcome to this weeks album review, today I have a glaswegan female duo that have been impressing the industry within their rock/alternative sound for the past two years. They go by the name of Honeyblood who are signed to Brighton indie label FatCat Records. 

The opening track "Fall Forever" gets things going with a bang, some really nice guitar rhythms and melodies being worked into this song along with very distinctive vocals from vocalist and guitarist Steena Tweedale. I really like the way the actual song is quite simple, but because the way they have produced it, the sheer noise just keeps reminding me that this is only a duo making this music.

The other half of Honeyblood is the drummer who goes by the name of Shona McVicar who really seems to have some solid beats laid down on this album. I really like the little breaks in "Killer Bangs". It could be something little like changing the drums onto the floor tom and snare, but it changes the whole complexity of the song. Some parts are just a second long like in the chorus where the lyrics are "I don't wanna go, go go go on". On the three 'go's' the duo come together and really accent those words which sounds great and keeps the energy throughout the track.

The track after the two very fast paced, but brilliant songs comes "Super Rat" which slows things down. Gives the listener a little break and is the song where you can really appreciate Tweedale's vocals that really stand out and are like nothing ive heard before. I can't think of an artist that sounds remotely like her. In some parts it sounds like she is talking the lyrics,  but still with some notes sung and I really like how she does this.

The new single that comes from the duo is a tune called "Biro". The middle of this album seems to have brought the energy down a peg or two, but that doesn't mean the power has gone. This song keeps the flow of loud alternative rock, but with more of a dynamic shift between the verses and chorus. Though having the dynamics still pretty high in the song can make the hi-hat really pierce the sound which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. Though on the flip side of things it gives their sound something to feel harsh about, its not all games and fun when listening to this record.

The song "Joey" brings out the best in the vocal harmonies from the duo. The song isn't the most energetic in the album, but it gives the listener a chance to hear both vocals without the guitar and drums taking charge of the song which happens on quite a few of the tracks. For a duo you need a lot of things happening at once otherwise it can sound quite empty, but for "Joey" it works well.

The song "Choker" is one of the strongest songs on the album and is the song that really defines who Honeyblood are compared to other bands of their genre. It was the first single that was put out from the duo and got a massive backing from BBC Radio 6 Music with the single being on the A list for a considerable amount of weeks. Its a very catchy tune that lets the backing vocals take the leading melody for the track. The main vocals lead with the melody line in the verses and breaks. I like the way the song is structured and doesn't seem to long winded.

By the time youve got to the track "No Spare Key" you've got a good idea of the Honeyblood sound. The next song "Fortune Cookie" is possibly the 'happiest' song on the record, using major chords and even a xylophone to keep things sweet. Though this sweetness doesn't get annoying because its different to the rest of the album, so it ads a nice texture to the record as a whole. I really enjoyed the guitar solo at the end of the track too and shows off how good Tweedale is on the guitar.

Honeyblood have just come off the back of the NME newbreed tour where they toured the country with the band Superfood and was a great success. I can only imagine there are a whole bunch of better things to come for the duo in 2015 and I look forward to following their journey for the coming year.

The tracks to check out are "Fall Forever", "Killer Bangs" and "Choker".

Thank you very much for reading and until next time. 

Lewis

'Fall Forever'

Website: www.honeyblood.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/honeybloodeatitup

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yumhoneyblood

Album Review ~ Bear's Den ~ Islands

Hello!

Welcome to this weeks main review. This week I have a folk/alternative band to review that go by the name of Bear's Den who are from London, UK. The three piece released their debut album 'Islands' on 20th October and I'm here to tell you what the album is like. 

Their band name  "Bear's Den" has been a band I'd keep constantly hearing about. Whether it be BBC Radio 6, Radio 2 or just from other people recommending them. So I finally got round to jumping on Spotify and checking them out and was incredibly surprised at the quality of this three piece and nothing like what I was expecting. 

Bear's Den bring to the table an album of chilled out folk music accompanied with guitars and a banjo. Andrew Davie (vocals) brings out his calmly toned vocals to make the music sound delight to hear. This is not a band trying to make noise and get heard, they're making music by saying "You...come over here, sit with us and listen". I can't help when I listen to the record that I'm sitting round a camp fire and really taking in everything they're playing and saying about. Just me?

The album starts off with a cracking opener that is "Agape". Bringing together each main instrument, packing a punch from the drums followed by the distinctive vocals and some mellow backing vocals from Kev Jones and Joey Haynes. The backing vocals are very impressive and give the overall sound of the album promise for the other 9 songs much to look forward to. 

In the track "The Love We Stole", you can really get a feel for the Bear's Den sound. A sound that is very different to anything that is out there at the moment. When its hard for me to describe the genre and style of music, you know its good.

One of the more popular tracks on the album that is ""Above The Clouds Of Pompeii" starts off with a guitar rhythm that free-flowing and catchy. Everything just seems to fit for this song to be the best on the album. The bass drum at the end of the song can be quite heavy on the ears compared to the rest of the song, but this is only a minor set back.

The lyrics make the songs very home-grown, if I was to describe everything on the record in one word it would be home-grown. They all enjoy making the same music, nothing is over-done, nothing is pushed. Its all come from some inspirational songwriting and experience on the road. Quite a lot of the album involves adding things little by little. Possibly starting off with just a guitar and vocals, then adding bass, then a small drum beat. Its also adding in piano's and trumpets at the end to really give it a fulfilling end. 

"Think Of England" does the whole adding in instruments gradually very well. Its only until the end of the song you realise how much has been added since the beginning of the song when it ends with guitar and vocals. At the beginning of the song you know something is brewing with the beating bass drum accompanied with clapper and shaker. 


Songs like "Magdalene" on the record are as if they're just made for Bear's Den. A chilled out worry-free song was if it was meant to be written for them. Its so difficult to make something sound so relaxed and easy, this song does it very well. The vocals are the reason this song is so laid back, if it was a singer who signs very powerfully then it wouldn't work. 

In the song "When You Break", I think its a little unnecessary for them to say the line "I want to f*** away all my fear". I think the style that they're playing in has no need or use for swear words. Its meant to be free-flowing and heart warming, but throw in some swear words and it changes the mood of the album to angry and raging. 

Finishing off the album are some beautiful songs that include some of the most hauntingly graceful guitar tones as well as feeling like the album is coming to an end. The use of horns in "Elysium" bring everything together in the track to become one of the loudest, but is one of the best on the record. The last track "Bad Blood" also has this feeling of togetherness to bring an end to the album.

In conclusion, Bear's Den have really outdone themselves to produce an album of folk that I feel everyone should give a try. You'll more than likely find that you'll enjoy at least three of the songs on this album. There isn't a song on the album that is 'below par' from the others, each one has been carved into the 'Bear's Den' wooden hut to be shared with the world. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the band when they go on their first headline tour in 2015. 

Here are the dates: 

Fri 6 Feb	Birmingham	Temple	UK
Sun 8 Feb	Dublin	Workman’s Club	IE
Mon 09 Feb	Belfast	Voodoo	UK
Wed 11 Feb	Glasgow	Oran Mor	UK
Thu 12 Feb	Newcastle	Cluny	UK
Fri 13 Feb	Manchester	Gorilla	UK
Sun 15 Feb	Cardiff	Clwb Ifor Bach	UK
Mon 16 Feb	Oxford	Academy 2	UK
Wed 18 Feb	Brighton	Concorde 2	UK
Fri 20 Feb	Paris	Point Ephémère	FR
Sat 21 Feb	Brussels	Witloof Bar *NEW	BE
Mon 23 Feb	Amsterdam	Melkweg Old Hall	NL
Tue 24 Feb	Hamburg	Knust	DE
Wed 25 Feb	Cologne	Buergerhaus Stollwerck	DE
Fri 27 Feb	Munich	Strom	DE
Sat 28 Feb	Zurich	Mascotte	CH
Tue 3 Mar	London	O2 Shepherds Bush Empire	UK

Thanks for reading and until next time.

Lewis

Website: www.bearsdenmusic.co.uk/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bearsdenmusic

Twitter: twitter.com/bearsdenmusic

Album Review ~ The Cornerstones, 'Stand In Line'

Hello! 

Welcome to blog post 27! Today I have a good ol' four piece British band from Uxbridge called The Cornerstones. 

The Cornerstones is made up of Richard Ruth - Vocals / Acoustic, Dan Bennion - Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals, Kyle Radbone - Bass and Carl Sampson - Drums. This alternative band certainly know how to get those feet tapping with the 2nd album from the band. Their debut Album 'Begin To End' and single 'Smack Me In Face' were released under Redemption records and resulted in tours and support slots with Shed - 7, Oasis, Proud Mary, Finlay Quaye and also national airplay.

So now you have a bit of background on the boys, let's see what the album has to offer!

The album starts off nice and strong with the song 'Drag Me Down' to then move onto 'My Mind' which both have a similar drive to it. You get a good feel for the kind of vibe you're getting from the album. Its now just a case of seeing where the band go from the third song to the last to keep the audience fixated until the dying seconds. 

They keep this album going in emphatic fashion with one of the better songs from the album personally called 'Stand In Line'. Its got more grit and power in the chorus' which give the band a reason to play with dynamics and adds a whole new feel. 

The vocals from Ruth are really shone through in the song 'Ground', his naturally soft tone makes you feel at ease. It doesn't take too much to love his voice, the higher notes are reached with ease and has one of those distinctive voices. The album starts to gain in volume and power at this point which is nice to hear and gives it some great energy!

The start of 'Erased' has one of those beginnings that you know its going to be a good song. Any song that starts with harmonica is a good song and adds a new element to this brilliant track. A sort of more happy-go-lucky tune, but works really well with the harmonica. 

So as we get into the latter stages of the album 

The album has nice little gems if you listen carefully to most of the songs. Its either little guitar licks hidden in the shadows of the tracks, subtle backing vocals or acoustic guitar playing the chords. I like albums that don't show everything to you, it leaves nothing to discover. Its like an island with all its treasure chests uncovered and dug up for you. 

One of the more popular of the slower songs 'Try To Hide' has some harmonica playing that is to die for. Its very mesmerising and can put your mind at ease to listen to for those brief few minutes which is a great feeling. 'Try To Hide' keeps things very simple throughout with the usual line-up, but subtly brings in the electric guitar for the chorus and leaves the acoustics and harmonica to its devices, beautiful. 

The single 'Smack Me In The Face' is a song that you can really immerse into quite easily with some cool guitar licks and vocals. Its different to the other tracks on the album in a good way. Coming to the final few tracks its like a plane landing, you know when you're coming to the end of your journey, but the captains make sure you land safely. The last 3 tracks are simple a great way to bring the album to an end. 

In conclusion, the album has quite a few strengths to it. Nice licks and ideas streaming through the album. Beautiful harmonica playing. A lot of promise for album three and the music is open to a wide audience which is a very strong position to be in!

Go check this album out and support this UK band!

Lewis


Website: http://www.thecornerstones.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thecornerstonesuk

Twitter: www.twitter.com/thecornerstones

*BONUS* Single Review - Antriksh Bali, 'Daze Blue (feat. Nikita Sailesh)

Hello,

Welcome to blog post 25 and an extra post for all you lovely people this week! Though this won't be as extensive as my main Wednesday posts, I'm sure you'll all love this artist that I have for you today anyway.

So, the artist I have for you today goes by the name of Antriksh Bali and is from New Delhi, India. When he contacted me about his single he wanted me to review, I was so captured by the fact he was from New Delhi! This blog goes all the way around the world!

Bali is an electronic/alternative musician that is inspired by a wide and peculiar range of elements in music. From sonic experiments to urban and dissonant orchestral scores, he has the mind set where there are no boundaries or genres. 

His music is very captivating to listen to and whilst doing my internship at Tru-Thoughts currently, its given me a great ear for this sort of electronica music to understand the true meaning behind it. With over-lays and fantastic scores for various instruments on this song, its definitely up there with the best. 

The song is about the phase that an artist goes through many a time in their career which is 'writers/creative block'. This song is about the conflicts and expression of turmoil that artist has when they cannot think of anything creative to put into a song they feel so attached to. 

The single is available on Bandcamp, Ok Listen and Reverbnation along with an extra song called "We Don't Need War, We Need More Satallites", which is a more remixed chilled song. Check out Antriksh Bali's single and support his work!

Until next time

Lewis

Website: www.antrikshbali.com/

Bandcamp: antrikshbali.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/antrikshmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/antrikshbali

Single Review - The Courtesans, 'Genius'

Hello!

Welcome to blog post 24! Today I am letting you all know about a female indie/alternative four piece band that are hitting the music business hard and not being portrayed as you're typical girl band. These girls are throwing the book out of the window on 'how to be the perfect girl band' by twisting and bending it in such a spectacular fashion that its caught the attention of many people. 

The Courtesans are Sinead Le Bella (vocals), Saffire Sanchez (guitar), Agnes D. Jones (bass) and Victoria Brown (drums). The single is the first song off their new album that will be released on 8th September called '1917'. Until then, the latest single 'Genius' is looking at the portrayal of the 'perfect girl' and that never ending search for her. Thus seeing young teens falling for the cheap lipstick, botoxing, slimming pill versions rather than one of those less genuine natural girls that get hidden in the darkness. 

From the first couple of lines in this song, you can tell this isn't your average girl band song. 

"Holding a gun to his head, she says

Do you love me? 

Do you love me?

Counting down the bullets she says

One for you, One for me

One for you, One for me"

Now, does that sound like something that Little Mix or The Saturdays will sing!? I love this dark side to the such loved cliché for a band. These girls have a fantastic image too that'll have you looking twice...once in shock and two in awe of their adventurousness. Their hair style is brilliant for the band image. Thick, long hair that has colours of red, bright blue, blonde and black, the perfect mix!

The start of the song, sounds like something from any ordinary song and then the struck of a chord on a guitar changes the mood completely. I do like the fact that all the girls in the band play a different instrument and don't all just sing otherwise that wouldn't make this band so unique. I do think that in recent years, girl bands are making a comeback for the greater good and The Courtesans are setting a great example to bring back the image in style!

Don't just take my word for this band, here are some other people's thoughts too:

"...dripping with a melodrama, intellect and wispy mystery not heard around these parts since early Garbage and Shakespeare's Sister" God Is In The TV Zine
"they're tight, they're funky and they’re absolutely terrifying" Never Enough Notes
"a sensual 4 piece audio and visual experience", Hellhound Music
"..saw The Courtesans live and still have not recovered" The Von Pip Musical Express

 Looks like that's all I've got time for today! Do go check the band out and watch the video down below. Another quick thank you to everyone who has been viewing my blog and got it over the 2000 milestone! Amazing, I cannot thank you enough! 

If any artist/managers want to contact me for reviews, then my email is in the 'contact me' section up the top of the page, these guys came to me with open arms and of course I agreed! Yours could be next too!?

Until next time!

Lewis

Wesbite: http://www.thecourtesans.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecourtesans

Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_courtesans

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CatrionaVillenhardt/videos

Review - Led Zeppelin II Remastered (Vinyl)

Hello!

The other day I purchased these gem of a reissued vinyl, so I thought it was too good not to review! This album, was Led Zeppelin II Remastered. I have recently got into vinyl since early 2014 and getting a beautiful vinyl player for my 21st fuelled this ever growing love for vinyl's. 

This album was released on the 2nd June 2014 along with Led Zeppelin I and III on CD and Vinyl. These reissues were packed with bonus' as well as the legendary songs from the band such as "Whole Lotta Love" and "Ramble On" on this album. These bonus' are rough copies of the songs, so if you're a massive fan, then you're going to want to hear these. 

The rough copies of the vocals with the band are heaven for the ears, at first, I thought they were going to be the odd note or lyric in difference, but some of the sections are completely different to the versions we all know and love. The photos I took are just examples of what to expect with the artwork inside for all you lovely lot. 

One song that stands out from the crowd is obviously "Whole Lotta Love". You try sing along to the version you know and you can see how much they have changed from this rough copy. The vocals are not as strong and rushed slightly, there are no "whole lotta loves" from the backing vocals as it only comes from the guitar. Robert Plant clearly hasn't figured all the lyrics out as he repeats in the second verse "baby you need love" 4 times. 




The bridge/psychedelic section is shorter with not much scratching from Jimmy's guitar and Robert hangs back on his vocals slightly. Though there is some nice cross-sticking on the drums which I think should have been kept for the final cut. It all sounds very spaced and not as psychedelic as the final version.  Coming out of that section there is no guitar solo either. 






All of this is just an example from one song from the 8 rough cuts available. You can see how much has actually changed for the final cut of the song and is actually a lot of fun spotting the difference. Its great to see how musically talent these four were to see what needed adding and what could stay because it sounded good already. 

Another track which is amazing to listen to on the rough cut is "Moby Dick". Its quite a sneaky tactic to how they made this awesome track.  They obviously told Bonham to just go nuts and see what we can create for his drum solo part and then cut it back to the original song when ever he stopped. You hear them stop for Bonham's part later, Bonham counts back in and does his 16th note fill to then go on and finish the song (you all know how it goes). Very sneaky, but clever too.

Beautiful detail to look like the original vinyl's

I really enjoyed listening to this album and all the little gems you can hear from the rough cuts. I think this was great move for Led Zeppelin. They're such an iconic British band and this could really spark a new love for them. I find that music in the charts today is at a very low standard to what was made back in the 50's - 70's (judge me all you like about that statement). 

Its great to see some brilliant music being brought into the new age of music with some extras so fans like myself can just love their music all over again. I'll leave a link for where you can get them from on Amazon. 


Thanks for reading and until next time!

Lewis :)











Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=led%20zeppelin%20vinyl&sprefix=led+ze%2Caps%2C1318

Paolo Nutini "Caustic Love"

Hello!

So...this absolute gem of an album came out of no-where for me. I never was a massive follower of Paolo Nutini's work apart from the popular songs. Could this record be a contender for the best album of 2014!?

I knew Paolo was a singer/songwriter and I did enjoy his older work such as 'Pencil Full of Lead', but since he had a five and a half year gap between albums I didn't know he was coming back and I was pleasantly surprised. I cannot stop playing this album, it has everything in it to be one of the great albums that I'll be listening to in many years to come. I bought this album on Itunes as it was the #1 in the album charts and I'm now tempted to buy it on vinyl too!

The songs that are on this album have such a diverse range of genre's from funk to soul to R&B to alternative and I love this. There is nothing for Paolo to say that he did this for popularity, there is not one song on this album he purposefully made to be top of the charts like some artists these days. Each one has been crafted into something that all musicians should look up to. He's created some outstanding pieces of music including "Iron Sky". Wow... what a powerful song that is!

Fantastic Artwork

Not only are the structure and grace of the songs well produced, its the musicians he has hired for this job that impressed me. Where he found these musicians is beyond me, they must be some of the best session musicians I've heard in a long time. It's as if they have practised these songs for years it sounds that good. Nothing seems too unbalanced or over-played, everything seems just perfectly balanced for each track. I give those musicians massive credit for making this album. If they weren't apart of it, I don't think I would be rating this album so highly.

My band mate Dan said that he had gone off Paolo Nutini after his last album because his lyrics and overall vibe of the album were too 'childish'. I listened back to his old album and I understood where he was coming from completely, but I guess everybody knew him after that album. The lyrics and overall sound on this record though are a lot more mature. Obviously having five years off does you wonders. One sentence that stands out to me in the album is from 'Iron Sky' and he says "Mass confusion, spoon-fed to the blind". I still do not understand why that sentence stands out to me, but I think its genius. 

The sections that I wasn't too keen on were the interludes between songs, but once you have heard them a few times they really grow on you. Personally 'Superfly' is a great interlude just because of the movie line at the beginning talking about boys playing in the streets, but not making them very popular. A crazy bold move by Paolo! 

One thing that stands out to me the most about this album from anything else is the amount of energy Paolo puts into the songs. You can hear in single one of them that he has poured his heart and soul into every song. Each song he has spent countless hours creating and producing and now they're ready to go onto a record he wants to put every ounce of himself into each one and its fantastic to hear. 

The top songs I would recommend on this album are "Iron Sky", "Scream (Funk My Life Up)", "Let Me Down Easy" and "One Day". The song "Better Man" is one of the songs that shouts out to me a song for a partner because they lyrics are so true from a guys point of view to a girl in a sweet way. Although don't get me wrong the other songs are fantastic, but if you don't have a lot of time these are the ones to check out!

I would seriously recommend anyone who is looking for new material to give this a good few listens and enjoy each song. This may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it shouldn't of been my sort of music, but each one grew on me and its definitely going to be a tough contender for best album of 2014 for myself and maybe in the industry!?

Thanks for reading and enjoy the music!

Lewis :) 

Website: http://www.paolonutini.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaoloNutini

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaoloNutini

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/paolonutini

P.S As a quick pointer, I was so engaged on writing this I wrote it in 20 minutes!? Though this was just the text, without putting links or photos in. Listening to the album whilst writing I guess helps, but this was one blog I've just poured out onto.

My Favourite Artists: Frank Turner

Hello!

This is the first blog in the series called 'My Favourite Artist'. These blogs will be looking at people who I really enjoy listening to, the advantages and disadvantages of the artist and the best tracks they have to offer. Also a little warning too... there is some use of offensive language in this blog. This will be a very long (and I mean it) blog, but I hope you'll all stay till the end as I'll put up some videos for you to go listen to some of his best work.

So, what better way to start this series off than looking at this artist who is easily in my top 3. Mr Frank Turner. 

He is a folk/punk singer-songwriter from Hampshire, UK and his lyric writing is a talent that most songwriters would die to have. I am a massive fan of speaking from the heart and writing down lyrics that really mean something to you. Every one of his songs have been from past experiences or tell a very true tale in life. I'd like to start off with some example of his lyrics just so you understand where I'm coming from before I start rambling. 

"I Knew Prufrock Before He Became Famous": 

"Well life is about love, lost minutes and lost evenings, 
About fire in our bellies and about furtive little feelings, 
And the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering, 
And they help us with remembering that the only thing that’s left to do is live..."

"Love Ire & Song": (My personal favourite song)

"Well it was bad enough the feeling, the first time it hit, 
When you realised your parents had let the world all go to shit, 
And that the values and ideals for which many had fought and died,
Had been killed off in the committees and left to die by the wayside,
But it was worse when we turned to the kids on the left, 
And got let down again by some poor excuse for protest, 
Yeah by idiot fucking hippies in 50 different factions, 
Who are locked inside some kind of 60's battle re-enactment..."

"Redemption":

Well I tried so hard to not turn into my father, 
But if I only ever skip out his choices will I ever choose better? 
Oh the sad truth is the grass, it will always seem greener, 
So I left you alone in a restaurant in London in winter, 
You deserved better..."

"Peggy Sang The Blues":

"It doesn't matter where you come from, 
It matters where you go, 
No one gets remembered, 
For the things they didn't do..."

"Substitute":

"And if music was the food of love
Then I'd be a fat romantic slob
Well music, it's my substitute for love"

Hopefully you get my point now why I believe he is such a fantastic writer. Apologies for the large amounts of examples, its hard to get all the best lyrics into a small section. Believe me it was more difficult than I imagined!

So, above are some examples of his lyrics. I spoke to one of my BIMM tutors about him as he is a massive Bob Dylan fan and he believes that Frank Turner is the young generation version of him. Let me explain what he told me. Bob Dylan wasn't afraid to speak his mind, write down how he felt and this shocked a lot of people. Which inevitably got him to be one of the most successful and popular singer-songwriters to date. Although some of his songs were on the borderline, including one about a famous murder and the details of what happened, this type of writing hasn't been apart of songs since. 

Well, not since I discovered Frank Turner. Some of his writing has shocked me personally and its a good feeling. One song he wrote called "Glory Hallelujah" , he was basically saying that there is no God, go and be free everyone. The chorus of that song goes;

"There is no God

So clap your hands together

There is no God

So ring that victory bell"

When I first heard the song I thought 'woah.. woah... woah, he can't sing this, its offensive'! Then when my tutor at BIMM told me about how Bob Dylan's song writing was much worse to the point people wanted to kill him, it made me see how spiritually free Frank Turner is. The fact he doesn't give a shit about flipping the finger to Christianity is a bold and brave move. I'm surprised his record label Xtra Mile gave him permission to put that on his record!

Not only is his songwriting to a high standard, he also put together a band that can produce some beautiful music. The band are called 'The Sleeping Souls' and they're a four piece band that know how to put on a show! Along with Frank Turner's energetic stage presence, these four add to the energy and will make you dance your socks off!

All four members are extremely talented with a feeling of brotherhood between them and Frank. The cliché roll of a singer/songwriter is to get a band together and it be very much I'm the singer, you're the band and that's it. With these guys its completely different, its Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, although separate names, they are all very close. 

Now... to be a good musician, half of it is talent and half of it is to be a performer. Now this guy is definitely  a performer! If you search into Youtube and look up any performance he has done, he makes everybody dance in the venue, even if you're up the top he knows if you're dancing or not! Its incredible to watch! I hope one day I can be part of this massive party. Yes I haven't seen him before, but this won't be for long!!!

I think the one thing that I can think off the top of my head that is a criticism, although this was only when I first heard him. His voice can sometimes be a bit off key and when I first heard his voice I wasn't at all convinced. Now though, I love his natural voice, no tampering, no auto-tune and he really does stretch his voice to the very limit at times! 

Anyway...I feel like I've rambled on enough! This guy is definitely one to check out! His lyrics are bar none the best I've heard for a very long time! 


Thank you so much for reading till now, I apologise for the length but don't say I didn't warn you!

Until next time! 

Lewis :)

Some examples and links for you lovely people:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frankturnermusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrankTurner

Website: http://frank-turner.com/