Rating: 4/5
Review:
A good debut
This is a very decent album by a good band. It's not going to set the world alight, but
then very few albums do; this is a collection of solidly written and performed
songs which form an enjoyable collection.
Don't Tell Johnny (I can't say I'm bonkers about the name,
by the way) are a four-piece folk outfit from Wales
and the West Country who write and perform their own music here. The songs are varied and nicely crafted, both
lyrically and musically. They range from
songs of regret in love like the opener Second Chance to Caitlin's Daughter, a
slightly soft-jazzy lament for Dylan Thomas and the lovely, almost
traditional-sounding Myn Mawr. It's all
good stuff, very nicely performed. Sam
Brown has a lovely voice and can use it to great effect, the harmonies are
lovely and well-judged, and the production is usually exactly right to set the
songs off well. (The bass in the first
two tracks has a slightly dominant quality which I didn't think helped things,
but it's fine for the rest of the album.)
On this evidence, I'm not surprised that Don't Tell Johnny
are liked and respected in their home region, and I hope they develop more
widely from here. I can recommend this
to anyone who likes a good, folk-based collection of songs.
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