Frank Turner-Peggy Sang The Blues
Folk-troubadour Frank Turner spent the beginning of 2011 holed up in Crouch End's Church Studios recording his soon to be released fourth album 'England Keep My Bones'. Picking up a hugely impressive large and dedicated fanbase throughout his travails over the last few years, primarily down to the honest, endearing and distinctly British nature of his songs, anticipation is unsurprisingly high as the album's release date of June 6th draws closer. 'Peggy Sang The Blues' is a great choice of first single and a tantalising preview of the album's quality. A moving tribute to Turner's grandmother, the song is a euphoric and life-affirming story in believing in oneself and striving for what you truly want to do with your life. Turner's opening acoustic strum raises a smile on every listen with the use of a full backing band giving an extra layer of potency and diversity to his songwriting, Matt Nasir's jaunty piano gives a brilliantly tuneful foundation to the song while Nigel Powell's diverse percussion creates a full sound that allows Turner's lyrics to really soar. The refrain of 'as I drifted off, Peggy sang the blues' is full of a glorious hope and the 'ah, ah, ah' harmony that ends the song has a wonderful Beatles-esque feel. A fine introduction to the new album that shall leave listeners desperate to hear more.