A Larum is the first full-length from Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit (although it was released just under Flynn’s name). It made a good splash critically, especially in the English press; it’s a carefully crafted slice of modern English folk – and I do mean English.
The front half of A Larum reminds me of what The Smiths might’ve been if Johnny Marr had decided the banjo was more interesting than the guitar. Flynn’s watery tenor makes a positive comparison to Morrisey’s watery tenor, though possibly only because of his East Anglia accent and penchant for songs that place ballad-esque stories over sweetly polished mid-tempo tracks. Other moments could be Mumford and Sons B-sides if that other set of folkies cared less about big harmonies and more about being, well, English.
It’s really hard not to think about Flynn’s nationality when listening to his songs. He mines the same set of traditional music that created Traffic’s “Hole in My Shoe” and the softer bits of Jack White post-Icky Thump. The beats are straight 4, the acoustic guitars are pleasantly jaunty, and the refrains (when they exist) are simple and catchy. His vocal melodies are offset by either a lone fiddle or the warble of a single, female, high alto voice. The overall effect is something that’s not out of place in a small pub somewhere in Cornwall.
If there’s a flaw at all in A Larum it’s a lack of variety. With a couple of exceptions (the brilliant “Cold Bread”, for example) Flynn has two modes: the above-mentioned jaunty folk and soft, melancholy pleas that are almost entirely voice and a single guitar. It pairs with a simple, clean production job to make a somewhat monotonous -if very pleasant and listenable – record.
As should be expected with folk styles, the difference is made up in lyrics. ”Leftovers” is a gem that uses a food metaphor (“Don’t need no foreign cuisine”) to extoll the virtues of being happy with who you are and who you’re with. ”Cold Bread” – the best song on the record – packs a lot of clever turns of phrase into a rumination on love and wandering away from home. He even entertains a few thoughts about being Christian in an English sort of way (“The Wrote and the Writ”).
As a whole, A Larum is a pleasant album. Johnny Flynn has an excellent band in The Sussex Wit, and together they are craftsmen par excellence. With a few more risks taken musically they could be one of the brightest voices to emerge from Britain in decades.
Final Grade: A-. Well made, pleasant, and clever with just a bit too much similarity between songs. Buy it, unless you’re not into the folk thing. If that’s the case download “Cold Bread” and “Leftovers” and you might change your mind.
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