Frank Turner - Last Minutes and Lost Evenings

I came a little late to the Frank Turner party, but after picking my jaw off the floor and wrapping my head around a new artist in the 21st Century popping up on Kimmel and shouting out the punks and skins with equal parts credibility and skill, I drank the Kool-Ade like it was getting funneled down my pencil neck. 2011's England Keep My Bones proved to be pretty aces, as were the increasingly frequent NYC shows behind it.

Judging by his Twitter feed, our dear Mr. Turner sure does get around. He does ok on this side of the pond, but over UK/Europe way, he's a bona fide phenomenon. 2012 was very good to our hero, seeing the young man from Wessex selling out Wembley (Arena) and appearing at the opening ceremony for this year's Olympics. He's signed to Epitaph stateside, and Mr. Brett and co. have levied this little catch-all slab of delight on the heels of England Keep My Bones to get everyone in the US up to speed before a new record drops this Summer.

I had initially thought that Last Minutes and Lost Evenings was a live record. Evidently the UK version has a DVD of the live show from Wembley packaged with it, but this version is pretty much a primer for the new Turner marks that don't have the import First and Second Three Years comps. I'd like to see the live show, but the fifteen tracks here are more than worth the price of admission, starting with I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous and romping through to the closing live take on Ballad Of Me And My Friends. Often spoken of in the same breath as far inferior units like The Asslight Anthem, but with far better songs and the ability to win over opening slots for the likes of Social Distortion and Dropkick Murphys, Frank Turner is to be checked out immediately if you haven't already.

Get Last Minutes and Lost Evenings here from the Epi-punks and keep track of our jet-setting Mr. Turner and his Sleeping Souls here.

R