Frank Turner – Rock & Roll EP

Evolving from bitter, acoustic punk – from tracks Thatcher Fucked the Kids and Once We Were Anarchists to the mellowness of the former Million Dead frontman’s more recent work – Rock & Roll picks up where last year’s Poetry of the Deed album left off; rockabilly charm combined with a more driven, if less aggressive palette.

On first listen Rock & Roll Romance lags as Turner's down-tempo songs often do, while The Next Round appears a retread of Love, Ire and Song without the furious sentiment, until you hit 3.34 mins and realise the man's still got it. While the constant dedications to his own faceless friends may grate, repeated plays prove Rock & Roll another slow burner. [Ali Ryland]