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Be More Kind Image
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

  • Summary: The seventh full-length studio release for the British singer-songwriter was produced by Joshua Block, Austin Jenkins and Charlie Hugall.

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. There’s plenty more evidence here that Frank remains one of our most consistently punchy, stirring and chaff-free songwriters.
  2. Q Magazine
    Jun 27, 2018
    80
    Be More Kind strikes a balance between the personal and the political. [Jun 2018, p.116]
  3. May 4, 2018
    80
    Overall, the album is thought-provoking and relevant. It’s an enjoyable listen and one which morphs and draws deeper messages with each listen. The moderate changes in sound only serve to highlight the poignance of the words through unassuming backing.
  4. Kerrang!
    May 10, 2018
    80
    Beautifully arranged and commandingly composed, Be More Kind is a great work from an expert in his craft. [5 May 2018, p.55]
  5. May 15, 2018
    80
    Turner's past music often expressed political views with passion, but this time is different. He's not sloganeering or pointing fingers as much as personally engaging with the world in which he finds himself.
  6. Jun 27, 2018
    70
    The melancholy, almost-'80s-esque chug of "There She Is" and the gentle acoustic lament of "The Lifeboat" are album highlights, two songs that that ably demonstrate Turner's ability to connect on an emotional level but also which show his growth and evolution as a musician.
  7. May 14, 2018
    60
    Turner’s inconsistent seventh LP may not compare with the likes of ‘Love Ire & Song’ and ‘Poetry Of The Deed’ but a willingness to experiment paired with a deceptively simple message make it a decent, if unremarkable addition to his stellar back catalogue.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. May 8, 2018
    3
    I've been through the album a handful of times now and the best way I can describe it is generic and disappointingly bland. Devoid of anyI've been through the album a handful of times now and the best way I can describe it is generic and disappointingly bland. Devoid of any genuine heart or purpose. It feels like another step down in Frank's race to the bottom to join the rest of the mass appeal, overly produced, top-40 radio plays. Most of the album fades into the background, failing to stand out or draw you in. The couple of tracks that do garner some attention have little in the way of substance and lack that feeling of being genuine that I feel used to make Frank's songwriting so stellar.

    Also, for an album that was supposed to feature a healthy dose of Frank's, typically very insightful, political commentary, everything feels very carefully prepared and presented. As if a PR firm carefully poured over the lyrics. Leaving just the few things that had the smallest potential to offend anyone's personal views. For a man who used to freely speak his mind and share his world views, this is the safest he's played it and he seems more and more reluctant to speak his mind the broader his fan base grows.

    All in all, if you can stream it from a music service you already subscribe to it's probably worth a listen, but it's not one I'd drop money specifically on and there's nothing from this album that I'll be adding to my regular rotation of Frank songs sadly.
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