Review: Johnny Flynn collaborates with writer Robert Macfarlane on new album Lost In The Cedar Wood

: by Joe Sharratt; in Reviews; on 18 September 2021

Johnny Flynn is a man of many talents. From carving out a reputation (and rightfully so) as the UK’s premier folk artist, to starring on the stage and silver screen, and racking up a huge amount of awards wins and nominations over the years, there’s seemingly very little the South African born superstar can’t turn his hand to.

After releasing four albums in five years, beginning with his debut A Larum in 2008, Lost In The Cedar Wood marks his first studio album release since 2017’s Sillion, which is only to be expected given how busy Flynn has been with his acting endeavours over the last few years and, of course, the widespread shutdown of the arts caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

It’s actually lockdown that gave Flynn the impetus to work on his long-awaited new LP. With other creative avenues understandably unavailable, he began crafting words and music infused with the desperation and despair of the pandemic in collaboration with his friend, the British writer Robert Macfarlane, whose writing on subjects like landscape, nature, place, people and language, feel like the perfect bedfellow for Flynn’s earthy, tender folk.

Lead single and album opener Ten Degrees Of Strange doesn’t disappoint and sets the bar nicely for what follows, a delightfully raucous affair, fizzing along as it does with a wonderfully chaotic charm. Gods And Monsters is similarly expressive, while Bonedigger positively bounces along and Flood In The Desert sparkles as it builds towards it’s beautiful finale. Tree Rings booms out at the heart of the album, while Ferryman sends the album out in a beautiful, sweet fashion.

Though it was born out of the darkness of lockdown, Lost In The Cedar Wood is a record that sparkles with Flynn’s distinctive joy, a delight of a record that it was well worth waiting for.

Lost In The Cedar Wood tracklist: