Johnny Flynn is a singer/songwriter who is often lumped into the London Nu-Folk scene, but has yet to achieve the breakthroughs recently enjoyed by the likes of Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and Mumford & Sons. Flynn’s debut A Larum may have been warmly received, but it failed to receive widespread radio play despite offering some infectious, catchy folk. Been Listening is hardly likely to thrust Flynn into the mainstream, as its sound isn’t easily accessible. Despite this, the album is full of the sort of lyrical complexity and melodic skill that make Flynn a formidable talent. Flynn’s sound has noticeably matured since his debut. His voice, once boyish, has hardened, giving his vocals a world weary edge that suits the understated pathos of lyrics such as “all that I have is a river” in ‘The Water’ a duet with Laura Marling.
The carefree fiddles and deliberately scratchy cellos that defined Flynn’s first album are now gone; instead, weaving brass and banjos create dense polyphony on songs such as ‘Been Listening’. This depth, reminiscent at times of Dixieland jazz, rewards repeated listens. Flynn’s new approach reveals aspects of his sound that have previously been unexplored. ‘Howl’ owes an obvious debt to the blues, whilst the lyrics of ‘Kentucky Pill’ seem to suggest a lean towards Neil Young-style-social-commentary: ‘I’m running with a gun/That’s gonna shoot my playmates down’ (although these gritty lyrics are a slightly at odds with Flynn’s past as a Shakespearian actor).
Overall, this album secures Flynn’s status as a distinctive artist whose constantly evolving sounds makes him fascinating to watch, though it’s a shame he won’t crack Radio 1 this time around.