| A Larum | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 May 2008 (UK) 29 July 2008 (US) | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 53:39 | |||
| Label | Vertigo (UK) Lost Highway Records (US) | |||
| Johnny Flynn chronology | ||||
| ||||
A Larum is the debut album of London-based folk rock musician Johnny Flynn, released in the UK on 26 May 2008 and in the US on 29 July 2008. On the album, Flynn is backed by his band the Sussex Wit.
The title of the album is the Middle English word for "alarm," used in Shakespeare's stage directions to signify a disturbance occurring offstage, and Flynn "quite liked the idea that the noise happening offstage was this album". [1]
The record was recorded at a studio called Bear Creek near Seattle. [2] In a 2010 interview, Flynn said of the studio, "The only thing around was a coffee stand where the girls wore bikinis. It was on a main road through the woods, in the middle of nowhere. That made us feel very English." [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Drowned in Sound | (8/10) link |
| The Independent | (favourable) link |
| musicOMH.com |  [4] |
| This Is Fake DIY | dead link |
| The Times | dead link |
In her review for Allmusic, critic Katherine Fullton wrote "it quickly becomes clear that the Wit's intricate, meandering rhythms and melodies are a fitting complement to Flynn's straightforward delivery, augmenting lyrics that would also function as poetry outside of a musical setting... The tangible intimacy between Flynn and his group makes A Larum not only an introduction, but also captures the gentle, amicable nature that makes them such an inviting and satisfying listen." [3]
Peter Hayward of MusicOMH called the album "a marvellously accomplished and endearing debut that, while rooted in tradition and most easily described as folk, should have broader appeal beyond the beardy-weirdy set." [4]
Writing for Rolling Stone , David Fricke named A Larum as one of "Fricke's Picks", calling it a "dramatic entrance" for Flynn and his band, drawing allusions between Flynn and earlier folk artists such as Fairport Convention and Bert Jansch. [5]
The song "Tickle Me Pink" was featured as iTunes free single of the week. A Larum was nominated for the Xfm New Music Award (2009) and was also named as the 37th best album of 2008 by Paste Magazine. [6]
Flynn re-issued A Larum in October 2019. [7]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Box" | 3:36 |
| 2. | "The Wrote & The Writ" | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Tickle Me Pink" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Brown Trout Blues" | 5:02 |
| 5. | "Eyeless in Holloway" | 4:05 |
| 6. | "Shore to Shore" | 4:23 |
| 7. | "Cold Bread" | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Wayne Rooney" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Leftovers" | 4:16 |
| 10. | "Sally" | 3:35 |
| 11. | "Hong Kong Cemetery" | 4:51 |
| 12. | "Tunnels" | 3:08 |
| 13. | "All the Dogs are Lying Down" | 4:13 |
| 14. | "Shore to Shore (Reprise)" | 1:27 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "The Ghost of O'Donahue" | 4:57 |
| 16. | "Old Tricks" | 3:51 |
The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be created by record companies without express approval from the original artist as a means to generate sales. They are typically regarded as a good starting point for new fans of an artist, but are sometimes criticized by longtime fans as not inclusive enough or necessary at all.
Rock n Roll is the fourth studio album by Ryan Adams, released on November 4, 2003. The album features the hit single "So Alive", and includes guest appearances by Adams's then-girlfriend, actress Parker Posey, former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bass player Melissa Auf der Maur, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. Adams describes the album as "the most rock thing I have ever done," and notes that in spite of the album's mixed reception, recording it was "fun as fuck."
Gillian Howard Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, country and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms."
Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment.
Magic Time is the thirty-first studio album by Van Morrison, released in 2005 by Geffen Records. It debuted at No. 25 on the US Billboard charts and No. 3 in the UK - Morrison's best UK chart debut until Still on Top – The Greatest Hits opened at No. 2 in 2007. Rolling Stone ranked 'Magic Time' seventeenth on The Top 50 Records of 2005.
"Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching No. 1 on Canada's RPM chart, No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song as No. 203 in their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Wild Is the Wind is the sixth studio album by American singer and pianist Nina Simone released by Philips Records in 1966. The album was compiled from several recordings that were left over from sessions for previous Philips albums.
Cardinology is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his final recording session with The Cardinals. Following the album's release and subsequent tour, Adams disbanded the band and entered a self-imposed hiatus until the release of Ashes & Fire, in 2011.
John Patrick Vivian Flynn is a British actor and musician. He starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom Lovesick and has also portrayed David Bowie in the 2020 film Stardust and a young Nicholas Winton in the 2023 film One Life.
I and Love and You is the 2009 major label debut by The Avett Brothers and produced by Rick Rubin.
All Is Well is the second album by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon, released in 2008. It was produced and mixed by Valgeir Sigurðsson at Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavík and released on the Bedroom Community label. The album features Amidon's reworkings of traditional folk songs, with chamber-orchestra arrangements by composer Nico Muhly and additional contributions from violist Eyvind Kang, electronic musician Ben Frost, and percussionists Aaron Siegel and Stefan Amidon.
Graveyard is a Swedish hard rock band from Gothenburg, formed in 2006.
Samuel Benjamin Cohen is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. A founding member of the psychedelic rock and pop band Apollo Sunshine, he released several albums with the group in the early 2000s. In 2009 he formed the solo project Yellowbirds, releasing the debut album The Color in 2011. This release was followed by Songs from the Vanished Frontier in 2013. The first Sam Cohen record, Cool It, was released on April 28, 2015, on Easy Sound Records, and primary featured Cohen playing all of the instruments. It was then re-released on Danger Mouse's imprint of Columbia Records, 30th Century Records, on June 3, 2016. Cohen is also known for his original collages on the Yellowbirds album covers, and his collage animation videos.
Rave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011, through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. A tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, the title refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest hits. Contributing artists included Paul McCartney, who owned Holly's publishing catalog at the time of the album's release, and Graham Nash, a former member of The Hollies, who were named in commemoration of Holly.
Born to Sing: No Plan B is the 34th studio album recorded by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released by Blue Note Records on 2 October 2012. It is his first studio album of original songs since 2008's Keep It Simple, with its four-year gap being the longest between two studio albums to date from the artist. It was well received by critics with most reviewers giving it four out of five stars, including Allmusic and Rolling Stone. It debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. It was Morrison's first album since the merger of EMI and Universal Music Group, which consolidated ownership of all his albums from 1984 onward.
Stories Don't End is the third studio album by American folk-rock band Dawes, released on April 9, 2013.
American Kid is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, released by New West Records on May 7, 2013. It was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee. Griffin recorded the album as a tribute to her late father.
Country Mile is the fourth full-length album by Johnny Flynn, released in 2013. The album was recorded with members of his backing band The Sussex Wit and was announced in conjunction with a tour, as well as the release of a single "The Lady is Risen". Country Mile was issued by Transgressive Records and became Flynn's first UK Top 75 hit, peaking at number 58 on the chart dated 12 October 2013.
New Glow is the fifth studio album by American duo Matt and Kim, consisting of singer and keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino. Following the self-recorded Lightning (2012), New Glow features production and engineering contributions from Jesse Shatkin, Andrew Dawson, and Lars Stalfors, who produced the duo's self-titled debut. It is a dance-pop record that contains more cues from mainstream styles than previous releases, and is lyrically about Johnson and Schifino's relationship. Released by Harvest Records on April 7, 2015, it reached the top 40 of the American Billboard 200 chart and the top five on the Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Critical reviews were mixed. Although certain journalists enjoyed New Glow as a fun album, it was generally considered their weakest release due to its move towards a mainstream polished sound and drying-out of a simple formula.
