Johnny Flynn - Tickle Me Pink
Heralded as a “poster boy for the nu-folk scene” and with a background in stage and screen acting, there is little doubt that 24 year old Johnny Flynn is a man who has courted a great degree of attention. Reassuringly, for this bookish thespian; his music is both engaging and immediate. It exudes an amiableness which should silence those who question Flynn’s authenticity as a downtrodden balladeer. ‘Tickle me Pink’ is a rootsy, jive enticing jam built around a cascading bass-line, skewing fiddles, acoustic guitars and Flynn’s delicately understated vocals all of which vie for attention throughout. It breezes along merrily before reaching a climax reminiscent of The Pogues featuring plentiful harmonies and searing instrumentation radiating a drunken melancholia which is endearing and enticing to the listener. Despite all of this, one wonders whether over the course of an album, the initial charms of Flynn’s delivery and conviviality of the music would waver and become somewhat tiresome. That said, as a single this is entertaining and enjoyable fayre.