Gerry Cinnamon - The Bonny - 7/10

Gerry Cinnamon is an anomaly in the modern music scene. In a world where the charts remain dominated by mainstream solo artists and products of TV talent competitions, it seems bizarre that a 36-year-old singer songwriter who plays harmonica and sings in a thick Glaswegian accent could secure a number one album. ‘The Bonny’, Cinnamon’s newly released second album, has just achieved the feat of reaching the top of the charts and reassured many music fans that breakthrough independent acts can still hit the big time.

Does it, however, live up to the promise of his 2017 debut ‘Erratic Cinematic’?

Opening with ‘Canter’ it certainly seems so as the track contains all the trademark Cinnamon touches – a spiky acoustic rhythm and brutally honest lyrics (here warning the protagonist not to dash through life as “it should be a canter”). The song however, despite it’s initial promise, loses its way. It lasts far too long and the charm it begins with is worn out by the finish. More annoyingly is the clubland beat that kicks in halfway through and does nothing but distract the listener.

This is a problem that also goes on to affect the next song ‘War Song Soldier’. What begins as an enjoyable delicate finger picked acoustic ballad begins to feel tarnished when the ‘despacito’-esque rhythm section kicks in. Later in the album ‘Mayhem’ suffers the same fate and you can’t help but feel Cinnamon would have benefited from scrapping the drum machine sound and going for something a little more authentic and fitting to bring out the best from these songs.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t some highly enjoyable moments. Recent single ‘Where We’re Going’ is one of Cinnamon’s catchiest songs to date. Leading off with an eighties inspired guitar riff and rattling on at a pace, it is one of the best moments on the album. Equally, acoustic ballad ‘Head in the Clouds’ is a beautiful song (and proof that Cinnamon can be at his finest with just a guitar for company) and the combination of the rolling rhythm and harmonica solo on ‘The Bonny’ is wonderful. It sounds like a song far older than it’s time.

To Cinnamon’s credit, he has developed a sound that is uniquely his and each song on this record consistently follows his well proven formula. This, however, is also the record’s greatest weakness. It sounds exactly like Gerry Cinnamon with very few variations (frustrating drum beats aside) from his previous work. One cannot help but wish for a few more risks and attempts at something outside of his comfort zone.

Despite this ‘The Bonny’ is a good record and will be enjoyable for fans of Cinnamon to discover. It is exciting to have an artist like this able to make an impact on the charts and one just hopes that, with album number 3, he is brave enough to produce something a little more daring.