Last Minutes and Lost Evenings

Frank Turner assembled this collection for his U.S. audiences, who haven’t been addressed as often as his European fans (who go back to Turner’s days in the hardcore punk band Millions Dead). Should Turner’s Britishness cause potential U.S. listeners to lose interest, it\'d be a great loss—while Turner can be even more earnest than his heroes Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg, he also writes with a smart, observant eye and a simplicity that makes his songs far more accessible than that of most of his competition. The charmingly titled “Reasons Not to Be an Idiot” works with a punk-influenced backup band with organ, while songs such as “Father’s Day,” “Nashville, Tennessee,\" and “Substitute” (Turner’s song, not the Who track) work agreeably as acoustic tunes. No matter how they’re adorned, Turner’s songs connect with audiences for their lyrical rawness; everyone hears a part of themselves being revealed.