Despite once being the frontman with (now defunct) hardcore punk outfit Million Dead Frank Turner’s solo work is about as far removed from his former band as you can get. With most of the material stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocals Turner is fast becoming a modern-day folk hero in the making, with influences ranging from Counting Crows to Billy Bragg. You can definitely hear a lot of Bragg’s influence in the lead track here, ‘The Real Damage’, perhaps even with a touch of The Kooks and Seth Lakeman thrown in as well. A self-mocking tale of time wasted after a drunken night on the town Turner weaves whimsy and charm into the track that could well provide him with one the surprise hits of the summer and is equal parts sad, happy and amusing.

The other tracks included here are outtakes from the album sessions and inevitably don’t measure up to the quality of ‘The Real Damage’, although ‘Heartless Bastard Motherfucker’ comes close to capturing the same sense of irony. But having been exposed to his work for the first time I am keen to hear a lot more and the album has gone straight to the top of my shopping list.

Having said all of this I’m not entirely sure this is really one for the typical Hardrockhouse reader (if, indeed, there is such a thing). But those with an open mind and a taste for something a little different are advised to dive right in and enjoy.

‘The Real Damage’ is released on May 7^th through Xtra Mile Recordings and the album ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ is available now.