Frank Turner

Rock & Roll, Xtra Mile Recordings***

He's a former public schoolboy from an über-privileged background but, whatever you do, don't confuse Frank Turner with James Blunt. The former Million Dead frontman's solo material is as far removed from both whiny pop-rock and the shouty punk of that band as you can get. Instead, the Winchester man has proved himself quite adept at writing acoustic-based songs that seep passion, without being corny. Musically, there are parallels to be drawn with an apolitical Billy Bragg, or perhaps more accurately, Joe Strummer's work with the Mescaleros. Pass it Alongand I Still Believeare rousing affairs, while the succinct Rock and Roll Romance's winsome vocal and rough lyrical charm oozes charisma. This five-track EP is a tasty appetiser of next year's full-length affair. See frank-turner.com

Download tracks: Pass It Along, Rock and Roll Romance