First Three Years

The First Three Years comprises two LPs worth of early material -- split singles, B-sides, unreleased tracks, and EPs -- from British troubadour Frank Turner, presented on beautiful red, black, and clear-splattered vinyl (or solid-colored, but seriously, go for the splattered version if available). His turn from hardcore shredder into folk strummer was pretty painless, and these tracks are proof of how consistent and successful he was, even from early on. There's no denying the talents of Turner to craft perfect little lines in every song that hit the heart of the matter more eloquently than you could even try. So for the already initiated, the first disc is terrific, though not exactly necessary (unless, of course, you don't already own the separate albums), as it mostly just contains those first two EPs -- Campfire Punkrock and The Real Damage -- and Turner's split with Jonah Matranga. The second record is more interesting and unexpected ("Jet Lag" actually rocks here), and fans will