Album Review: Gerry Cinnamon, The Bonny

Nowadays, globe trotting, acoustic guitar toting troubadour Gerry Cinnamon is every inch a folk hero (in both senses of the phrase). In true rags to riches style, the Glaswegian has famously grown a grass roots fanbase to the point where he’s not just playing in arenas and football stadiums-he’s selling them out with ease without major label backing and little support from the mainstream press. Last Christmas a British magazine ran with the (presumably) tongue in cheek headline “Who the fuck is Gerry Cinnamon?” Well, we’ll tell you who he is. He’s the man who took on the music industry on his own terms and fucking won.

Considering Cinnamon has spent the last few years literally and figuratively dancing to his own tune, you perhaps won’t be too surprised to learn that rather than delay the release of his much anticipated second full length, he’s putting it out as planned, potential loss of revenue be-damned (“Never gave a fuck about numbers anyway,” he recently offered in an interview). Opting not to stray from the hugely successful formula established on 2017’s reputation making Erratic Cinematic (ie ragged, occasionally raucous, sometimes wonderful folk songs built around crowd-pleasing choruses), The Bonny is destined to swell the ranks of Cinnamon’s cult.

Crammed with cautionary tales of hope, horror and small-town heroes with big hearts, the Scot’s musical stew will be lapped up by lovers of the likes of the Gallagher brothers, Bob Dylan, Irvine Welsh and Limmy. Live favourite ‘Canter’ opens proceedings strongly. Propelled by a rabble rousing four on the floor bass drum beat, lines like “You know it could be a canter/If you were just a wee bit less of a wanker” and “You’ll never be a king when you’re acting like a pawn” ensure it’ll be a set staple for years to come.

Elsewhere, the sky eyed ‘Where We’re Going’ really impresses and has a little bit of the Cure’s ‘Friday I’m In Love’ in its DNA, while previous single ‘Sun Queen’ is an irresistible four minutes that Rod Stewart would sell his wrinkle cream for.

It’s not all killer tracks, mind. ‘Head In The Clouds,’ which was inspired by Cinnamon’s battles with insomnia, could put you to sleep and some of the second half of the record drifts a little too far into dreary dad rock territory for this reviewer’s tastes (‘Outsiders,’ ‘Mayhem’), however Cinnamon’s wit, grit and sharp turn of phrase helps him sail over the finish line with ease.

7/10