2022 Contenders: Mid-Life Frank

The new Frank Turner record is purportedly a return to his hardcore younger days, and there are a couple of shouty tracks on there, such as the opening 2 minute blast, Non Serviam, and The Gathering, which is basically Frank pretending to front The Hold Steady. After that though, it settles down to business as usual, delightful for Frank aficionados such as myself, but unlikely to win him many new fans. That said, it's his first Number One album, so it must have sold at least six copies. And the Special Edition features acoustic versions of many of the louder tracks for those who have already wrecked their eardrums from too many years listening to loud music. 

Like me.

Despite all that young stuff, a couple of the tracks actually verge on middle age (well, he is 40 now). For a start, he finally gives up on the capital and moves out to the suburbs on Farewell To My City...

I got tired of London, not tired of life

I'm so sorry, my darling, to leave you behind

We had a hell of a run there, I must go down to the sea

While you're always changing, it wasn't you, it was me

And he's a married man too! (Having tied the knot with fellow musician Jessica Guise a couple of years back). All of which leads to the lyric below, surely the most Middle-Aged song he's ever written... although I'm hoping for many more in the future.

I'm sorry about the argument at the weekend

I should have listened to what you said in the first place

And that I should have been your friend

But I finally tidied up the garage like you asked me

I put some laundry on

Both our clothes this time and not just mine

Rock 'n' roll never dies. But it does start wearing slipper after a while.