Elsewhere, album highlight Letters is a moving rush of anthemic nostalgia, East Finchley is a gorgeous, tender lament to lost time and lost youth, and On My Way a raw, downtempo love song full of both intention and regret.
Raw, in fact, is a good way to describe much of this album. Likely a result of the self-production, it feels very real and close to who Frank truly is – especially on the gentle penultimate track, Somewhere Inbetween, another song which seems to reference the perception people on the outside have of him, and the closing title-track, a heart-torn, piano-led track that pines over the hardships in life and the ravaging effects of time.
Letters aside, it’s the quieter, gentler songs that work best on this record, that peer more deeply into Frank’s soul. And while Undefeated might only contain a couple of songs that could comfortably sit alongside that list of FT classics, it’s clear he’s still putting his heart and soul into his art.
Verdict: 3/5
For Fans Of: Against Me!, Dave Hause, The Menzingers
Undefeated is released on May 3 via Xtra Mile