Johnny Flynn
Sillion
Release Date: Mar 24, 2017
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: Transgressive
Music Critic Score
How the Music Critic Score works
Buy Sillion from Amazon
Album Review: Sillion by Johnny Flynn
Very Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
A lot can happen in the space of a decade, especially for a young man like Johnny Flynn. Since his 2008 debut A Larum he's released a succession of increasingly explorative and earthy records that have seen him meander in and out of the folk scene, and indeed critical favour. He's also dabbled with stage and screen acting, a burgeoning line of work.
Based on rating 7.5/10
The album opens with the overwhelming "Raising the Dead", a slow, mournful march in homage to the singer's late father Eric, who was also an actor and musician. It flings us instantly in to his heartbreak, and his penchant for poetry continues to come out as the album develops. The sea is personified and brought to life in "Heart Sunk Hank", as Flynn sings of how "The ocean carries me / She carries me away" in a sombre ode that alludes to a man drowning himself in the face of unrequited affection from "the one girl that I love".
Based on rating 3/5
It’s been four long years since folksy singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn last released an album. He’s not been mysteriously idling his time away à la Frank Ocean since 2013’s ‘Country Mile’, though. Instead, he’s been plonking his fingers in a lot of pies. There've been TV roles (he plays lead character Dylan in the ace 'Lovesick'), scores (for BBC series 'Detectorists' and the Globe Theatre’s 'As You Like It') and theatre (appearing alongside David Morrissey in 'Hangmen').
'Sillion'
is available now