| Be More Kind | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 May 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:27 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Frank Turner chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Be More Kind | ||||
| ||||
Be More Kind is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Frank Turner, [1] released on 4 May 2018 by Xtra Mile Recordings. [2] This is the final album to feature Nigel Powell on drums.
Frank Turner released his sixth studio album Positive Songs for Negative People on 7 August 2015, via Xtra Mile Recordings. [3] Later that year, on 20 November 2015, Turner released a vinyl box set titled The First Ten Years, containing three previously-released compilation albums – The First Three Years , The Second Three Years , and The Third Three Years –as well as a new compilation titled Ten for Ten. [4] To promote both releases, Turner embarked on an extensive European and North American tour, with support from Northcote and various other artists. [5]
In a December 2016 interview with Upset Magazine, Turner revealed that he argued with his record label during the creation of Positive Songs For Negative People, believing that he was "in a position where my artistic integrity was on the line". [6] He also told the magazine that he believed the album was "emptying out one particular creative cupboard", and that he was "in the middle of trying to decide precisely which direction I want to head in next". [6] On 22 January 2017, Turner released a live recording of "The Sand in the Gears", originally performed during his US tour. [7] Later that year, on 24 November, Turner released Songbook, a compilation album featuring his personal favorite tracks, alternative recordings of previous releases, and one new song. He also announced that his next studio album would be released in 2018. [8]
Its title is based on a line from a Clive James poem first published in the 3 June 2013 issue of The New Yorker in which he describes his own mortality called "Leçons des Ténèbres". The line which inspired the title reads: "I should have been more kind. It is my fate. To find this out, but find it out too late."
The album has been described as "a record that combines universal anthems with raw emotion and the political and the personal, with the intricate folk and punk roar trademarks of Turner's sound imbued with new, bold experimental shades." [9]
It was produced by Austin Jenkins and Joshua Block, formerly of psychedelic-rock Texans White Denim, and Florence and the Machine and Halsey collaborator Charlie Hugall.
The artwork for the album, including one illustration for each song, was done by Ben Rix. Rix also invited people to submit their own artwork to add to the process online. [10]
Frank Turner announced the details of his then-upcoming album, including the title, track listing, and release date, on 29 January 2018. [11] As part of the album announcement, the first single from Be More Kind, "1933", was made available for streaming the same day. [12] Nearly one month later, on 23 February 2018, Turner released the second single from the album, the title track "Be More Kind". [13] Turner released the third single, "Blackout", on 16 March 2018. [14] The accompanying music video, released the same day, was filmed on the George Lucas stage at Elstree Studios, the same studio used for filming Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark . [15]
On 9 April 2018, Turner released a music video for the fourth single on Be More Kind, "Make America Great Again". In the video, Turner travels around Austin, Texas, asking residents what, in their opinion, is the greatest thing about the United States. [16] The last single to be unveiled before the album's release was "Little Changes", which was serviced to radio stations on 30 April 2018. [17] The music video for "Little Changes" was released on 4 May, the same day as Be More Kind. It depicted Turner attempting to dance alongside two other men. [18]
As part of the 29 January album announcement, Turner also unveiled the details of the "Be More Kind World Tour", which ran from May to October 2018 in North America. Turner was accompanied by his backing band, the Sleeping Souls, and was supported on the tour by Lucero, The Menzingers, and The Homeless Gospel Choir. [11] On 23 April, he added seven tour dates in the United Kingdom, performed in January and February 2019. As part of the tour announcement, Turner also announced an exclusive tour edition of Be More Kind, featuring alternative cover art and a fold-out tour poster. [19]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10 [25] |
| Metacritic | 81/100 [26] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [27] |
| Clash | 6/10 [28] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10 [29] |
| The Independent | [30] |
| musicOMH |  [31] |
| NME | [32] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [33] |
| Punknews.org | [34] |
| Under the Radar |   [35] |
Be More Kind was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Be More Kind has an average score of 81 based on 11 reviews. [26] The review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [25]
In its year-end list of the best 25 albums of 2018, Radio X placed Be More Kind at #7. [36]
All tracks are written by Frank Turner, except 1, 3, 7, 10 by Frank Turner & Iain Archer
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Worry" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "1933" | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Little Changes" | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Be More Kind" | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Make America Great Again" | 3:28 |
| 6. | "Going Nowhere" | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Brave Face" | 3:36 |
| 8. | "There She Is" | 3:48 |
| 9. | "21st Century Survival Blues" | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Blackout" | 3:56 |
| 11. | "Common Ground" | 4:14 |
| 12. | "The Lifeboat" | 4:10 |
| 13. | "Get It Right" | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 48:27 | |
Credits adapted from the Be More Kind liner notes.
Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls
Additional musicians
| Production
|
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [37] | 19 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [38] | 87 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [39] | 12 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) [40] | 55 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) [41] | 8 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [42] | 2 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [43] | 25 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [44] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 [45] | 95 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard) [46] | 5 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [47] | 21 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [48] | 18 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [49] | 8 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [50] | 15 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [51] | 12 |
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley; bassist and co-founder Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006.
Blackout is the fifth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 25, 2007, by Jive Records. Its production and release occurred as Spears' personal struggles were highly publicized and overshadowed her professional projects. She executive-produced the album, working with producers Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett, and the Neptunes, among others; it is the only album on which Spears is credited as the executive producer. The final result was primarily a dance-pop and electropop record with Euro disco and dubstep influences, with lyrical themes revolving around love, fame, media scrutiny, sex, and clubbing.
Francis Edward Turner is an English punk and folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. In the studio and during live performances, Turner is accompanied by his backing band, The Sleeping Souls, which consists of Ben Lloyd, Tarrant Anderson (bass), Matt Nasir and Callum Green (drums).
The Last Shadow Puppets are an English supergroup consisting of Alex Turner, Miles Kane, James Ford, and Zach Dawes.
The Age of the Understatement is the debut studio album by English supergroup the Last Shadow Puppets, released on 15 April 2008 by Domino Recording Company. It was written between band co-frontmen Alex Turner and Miles Kane in 2006. It was produced in Paris and London by fellow member James Ford, featuring orchestral arrangements composed by Owen Pallett, and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. The album artwork features a 1962 black and white picture, by photographer Sam Haskins, depicting a young woman, named Gill, sitting on the floor.
Friendly Fires are an English indie rock band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to Polydor Records. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008, and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.
English singer-songwriter Frank Turner has released ten solo studio albums, seven live albums, thirteen extended plays, six compilation albums, three video albums, thirty-six singles and eighteen music videos among other releases.
Florence and the Machine are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden & harpist Tom Monger. The band has comprised a number of other musicians. The band's music has received acclaim across the media, especially from the BBC, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Music Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic, eccentric production and Welch's powerful vocals.
Nigel Powell is an English multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon.
England Keep My Bones is the fourth studio album by London-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 6 June 2011, on Xtra Mile in the United Kingdom, and on 7 June 2011, on Epitaph Records worldwide. Preceded by the single, "Peggy Sang the Blues", the album was produced and mixed by Tristan Ivemy, who had previously mixed Love, Ire and Song, Rock & Roll and Campfire Punkrock.
Suck It and See is the fourth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 6 June 2011 by Domino Recording Company. The album's songs were written by frontman Alex Turner in 2010 on an acoustic guitar in his, at the time, Brooklyn home. It was produced in Los Angeles at Sound City Studios by the band's longtime collaborator James Ford in early 2011, using mostly live takes. The album's title, a British phrase meaning "give it a try", was viewed as provocative in the United States due to being misinterpreted as referencing fellatio, and was subsequently censored in some locations. The artwork features the album title in black over a cream colored background.
Tape Deck Heart is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 22 April 2013 on Xtra Mile in the UK, and on Polydor / Interscope worldwide. Produced by Rich Costey, the album was preceded by the single, "Recovery."
Positive Songs for Negative People is the sixth studio album by English singer/songwriter Frank Turner. It was released on 7 August 2015 by Xtra Mile Recordings. The album garnered a positive reception but critics said it was derivative of Turner's previous works. Positive Songs for Negative People debuted at number 2 in the UK and number 69 on the Billboard 200 and spawned only one single: "The Next Storm". To promote the record, Turner toured across North America, Europe and Australia.
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are an English punk rock band formed in 2015 by frontman Frank Carter with guitarist Dean Richardson. Famed for their raucous live shows, the band released their debut album Blossom in 2015, and the follow-ups Modern Ruin in 2017 and End of Suffering in 2019. Their fourth album, Sticky, was released in October 2021. A fifth, Dark Rainbow, was released in January 2024.
"Karate" is a song by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal from their second studio album, Metal Resistance. The song was released to active rock radio as an airplay-only single in the United States on February 26, 2016.
Pale Waves are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood soon joined and completed the lineup. The band's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop; their second and third albums, however, owe more to the pop-punk genre.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the sixth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 11 May 2018 by Domino Recording Company. The album was written by frontman Alex Turner in 2016 on a Steinway Vertegrand piano in his Los Angeles home. It was produced in Los Angeles, Paris and London by frequent Arctic Monkeys collaborator James Ford and Turner, alongside a wide array of guest musicians including Tom Rowley, Loren Humphrey, James Righton, Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford and Cam Avery. Turner designed the album artwork himself, which depicts the eponymous resort with cardboard cut-outs and a tape recorder. Its title refers to Tranquility Base, the site of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing.
We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.
No Man's Land is the eighth studio album by English singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 16 August 2019 by Xtra Mile Recordings.
FTHC is the ninth studio album by English singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 11 February 2022.
