On May 4, 2018, English folk punker Frank Turner released his 7th studio album Be More Kind. Turner experiments with different elements and deviates from some of the rawness of previous albums. Lyrically it is probably his most socially conscious album to date. We will now look at five of the tracks from the album. Each of these contains timely messages for the times we’re living in.
1933
“1933” is one of the songs on the album that has the traditional Turner folk punk sound. 1933 was the year that the Nazis took power in Germany. Turner draws on the lessons in history to find parallels to the times we are living in.
Be More Kind
“Be More Kind” is the title track and it is based on a line in a Clive James poem “Leçons des Ténèbres”. In the political turmoil that we’re engulfed in, the need for human kindness becomes increasingly imperative. The lyrics also stresses the need for open dialogue which is a common thread that is discussed on a number of the album tracks.
“They’ve started raising walls around the world now
Like hackles raised upon a cornered cat
On the borders, in our heads
Between things that can and can’t be said
We’ve stopped talking to each other
And there’s something wrong with that
Don’t decide what you will find
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind”
Blackout
“Blackout” is the first official single off the album. It is one of tunes which deviates from the traditional Turner sound. In a NME interview, Turner describes the song has having “a dancey vibe to it”. The lyrics start off referring to a literal blackout, then as the tune progresses the reference to a blackout starts to become a metaphor for current world conditions and the anxiety over increasingly dark times. One of the poignant lines in the song: “We can’t turn just around and close the door on the world /It’s asking uneasy questions/ We should be asking ourselves uneasy questions”. Awkward conversations and trying to rally together to “bring a burning candle” will help provide the necessary light to make real change possible.
Make America Great Again
“Make America Great Again” is a play on Donald Trump’s campaign slogan. Turner acknowledges that he is an outsider, but as someone who has genuine fondness for America he would like to see the USA reject the regressive philosophy of MAGA. The video also features Turner getting Americans to write on a whiteboard the things that they feel makes America great. Some of things are humorous and some focus on things that are being attacked under the current administration. The tune is part love letter and part intervention.
Little Changes
“Little Changes” is a reminder that when overwhelmed by the state of the world, lasting progress starts with small steps. Those changes can include showing every day kindness and human decency. The tune also includes the timely line “Let’s not just pray/ Let’s make a change”, which highlights that meaningful changes requires concrete action. The sing along nature of the tune, along with the fun video also makes me really happy. Socially conscious music can also be joyous and in these stressful times sometimes we need happy tunes.