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album reviews

A Larum



A Larum 8½ ( 2008 )
The Box / The Wrote & The Writ / Tickle Me Pink / Brown Trout Blues / Eyeless In Holloway / Shore To Shore / Cold Bread / Wayne Rooney / Leftovers / Sally / Hong Kong Cemetry / Tunnels / All The Dogs Are Lying Down / Shore To Shore - reprise

Johnny Flynn is plainly a delight from the first few seconds you hear him. A fan of that finger-picking folk guitar style, albeit mixing things up across the album's entirity so the listener isn't bashed around the head with a single style. His lyrics tell stories without sounding in the slightest 'folk', rather than showcase a Syd Barrett like imagination, albeit one without drugs. Hopefully that means Johnny Flynn will make more than the one decent album, you know? I hope so, because 'A Larum' has been getting better ever time I hear it to plateux to what it is now, clearly one of the best albums of 2008. 'Tickle Me Pink' is a good example of all the Johnny Flynn styles. Well, the finger-picking is less in evidence here to be replaced by a vaguely hippy, loose psychedelic ( in a Gorky's Zygotic Mynci kind of way ) thing. The song, like many of Flynn's, is short, just under three minutes. Hurrah for economy! Album opener 'The Box' is a statement of intent. Again, it doesn't outstay its welcome, again the lyrics are superb and the finger-picking is a delight. Oh, something alarming to point out. Johnny Flynn is related to either Robson or Jerome, or Robson and Jerome infamy. Cue cheap 'Carry On' related Kenneth Williams joke.

'Sally' is a song both with a girls name in the title as well as it having great, swishing instruments on it from fiddle to a country thing to vocals that sound solidly in the ground. More rhymes than an entire Kooks discography and another winner from Mr Flynn is born. 'Leftovers' is a pick of the bunch, stupendous lyrics about a bunch of leftover food stuffs. I especially like the chorus and the drums and the fiddle and the entire thing, basically. Even a song titled 'Wayne Rooney' manages to be a highlight, a haunting little melody and a vocal, 'i don't know better...' which makes you wish for a moment that all singer/songwriters were like Johnny Flynn. Humour, seriousness, top lyrics, little finger-picking, distinctive guitar melodies and what else? Isn't that enough? Check out this little gem, why are you still reading - go out and buy.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments VT USA Couldn't agree with you more, been loving this album ever since I got it this past summer. I spent it studying abroad in London and I listened to this all the time, it was a nice little contrast to the metropolitan landscape I was in... Love the steel guitar ha Scott Larkin Hadfield, Derbyshire This is a mile ahead when it came to my album of 2008, it has been worn out with play. It a shame that talented artists like Johnny dont get the airplay they clearly deserve. Each song is beautiful, a star of the future if he keeps this up.