Gerry Cinnamon is a legitimate musical sensation. The Glasgow singer-songwriter has emerged from nowhere to become the one of the voices of his generation. In the span of just three years, Cinnamon has gone from being an unknown to headlining the 3Arena. He achieved this fame without a massive marketing push from the record industry and so his success feels truly authentic. He released his follow-up to his breakthrough album Erratic Cinematic this morning. It's called The Bonny. Though a few of the songs like Dark Days and Canter were uploaded to Spotify in the winter, there's quite a lot of new material here.
We've collated the instant reaction to the album below. To summarise: 'The Bonny' isn't a wild departure from 'Erractic Cinematic'. For hardcore fans, that's great news. Some critics seem to be wanting more.
Fans take
Fans of Cinnamon have been overwhelmingly delighted with the album.
can u shag an album? askin for a pal x @GerryCinnamon #thebonny #gerrycinnamon
— Charlie B (@charlotteboan) April 16, 2020
Here we, here we, here we fucking go! Great run with @GerryCinnamon this morning. We kept our distance 😉 great new album 👏🏻 Gonna be some epic gigs once this has all passed pic.twitter.com/TTBEnzd2UD
— Steve Gold (@scoobershteve) April 17, 2020
Spending my day off lying in bed listening to @GerryCinnamon’s new album. Perfect way to recuperate after 2x 12 hour shifts in ICU 💖 #NHS #TheBonny pic.twitter.com/dfTlETDWoy
— Becky Martin (@BeckyM0529) April 17, 2020
Social media take
gerry cinnamon was enjoyable but the novelty’s worn off, he’s milking it as far as he can and that record is actually comically atrocious. i wasn’t exactly expecting anything creative or imaginative but my god. the title track is a standout shiter for me.
— jack 🏴 (@jackbuchananmma) April 17, 2020
Critics take
The Guardian 4 stars from five
"The Bonny doesn’t stray far from the template of Cinnamon’s 2017 debut, Erratic Cinematic – it’s mostly Cinnamon and his acoustic guitar, and sometimes there is basic drumming. The songs are simple but sturdy – the hooks are strong and grip even when you think you’ve escaped them – and when he brings in a full band on Where We’re Going, there’s the odd similarity to New Order at their guitar-poppiest, the same New Order that the Cure tried on for size on In Between Days. None of the songs depend on production trickery, otherworldliness or mystery: everything on The Bonny is designed to be obvious enough that repeated listenings reinforce rather than alter perceptions of the songs."
Hot Press: 7/10
"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."
The Standard: 2 stars from five
"On Outsiders and Six String Gun, he positions himself as a rebel with a guitar. It’s strange that such rudimentary music should pass for revolution, but these are strange times."
IndieIsNotAGenre:
"He’s impossible not to listen to; his strong voice with a touch of reverb makes you feel like you’re in the front row of a massive arena show. Despite Cinnamon’s powerful presence, his lyrics capture the candid intimacy of a performer at a local open mic. He’s an artist who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame by just being himself, and on The Bonny we get to know a little more of Gerry Cinnamon.
Photo credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
