I Would Not Live Always

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I Would Not Live Always
A sepia-toned photo of Flynn
Studio album by
John Francis Flynn
Released30 July 2021 (2021-07-30)
GenreIrish folk music
Length44:06
LanguageEnglish
LabelRiver Lea
ProducerBrendan Jenkinson
John Francis Flynn chronology
I Would Not Live Always
(2021) 		Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
(2023)

“Songs come and go for me — but that one song, I’ve always sung it... I feel like I’m friends with that song, almost. It’s the song I’ve gone with the furthest. It’s never got to the point where I’m tired of it. It’s a very emotional experience. It’s very much of the Irish experience of emigration. When you’re singing the song, you try to drop the ego and let people in.”

—Flynn on including the traditional "Come My Son" as this album's closer[1]

I Would Not Live Always is the debut full-length album by Irish folk musician John Francis Flynn. The album mixes traditional music with contemporary instrumentation[2] and has received positive reviews from critics.

Reception[edit]

A 2022 profile of Flynn in Financial Times found Garth Cartwright calling this album "unique [for] both Flynn’s voice—mournful, deep, expressive—and the adventurous arrangements of songs by celebrated British folk authorities Shirley Collins and Ewan MacColl, alongside centuries-old ballads".[3] In The Guardian, Jude Rogers scored this release 4 out of 5 stars, stating that it has "an unearthly intensity" that made it the folk album of the month.[4] The publication listed it among the best albums of August 2021[5] and it topped the best folk releases of the year.[6] In Hot Press, Kate Brayden gave this album a 9 out of 10, calling it "at times otherworldly and poignant, often hauntingly gripping but always spine-tingling".[7] The Irish Times also included it among their 10 best Irish albums of the year.[8] In an overview of the best Irish underground music for October 2021, The Quietus' Eoin Murray called this release "traditional songs with an experimental twist, weaving subtle elements of kosmische and electronic music into the form’s deep roots" with "drones that tie Irish folk music to numerous contemporary experimental styles gleam".[9] In Uncut, Rob Hughes gave this album 4 out of 5 stars, characterizing it as "an extraordinary debut by any standard" and praising Flynn's combination of traditional tunes with modern sounds and supporting session players.[10]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Lovely Joan" – 3:56
  2. "Cannily, Cannily" – 5:44
  3. "My Son Tim" – 2:41
  4. "Tralee Gaol" – 2:53
  5. "Shallow Brown" – 7:57
  6. "Chaney's Tape Dream" – 2:05
  7. "Bring Me Home Pt. I The Dear Irish Boy" – 3:13
  8. "Bring Me Home Pt. II I Would Not Live Always" – 4:11
  9. "Bring Me Home Pt. III An Buachaillín Bán" – 4:09
  10. "Come My Little Son" – 7:19

Personnel[edit]

  • John Francis Flynn – guitar, tin whistle, vocals
  • Consuelo Nerea Breschi – vocals
  • Ross Chaney – drums, synthesizer, loops
  • Phil Christie – keyboards
  • Brendan Jenkinson – synthesizer, clarinet, electric guitar, engineering, mixing, production
  • Saileog Ní Cheannabháin – vocals
  • Ultan O'Brien – fiddle

Chart performance[edit]

I Would Not Live Always reached eighth place in its 11 weeks on the Folk Albums Chart in the United Kingdom.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Meagher, John. "John Francis Flynn: 'Trad songs remain relevant – that's why we still sing them'". Entertainment / Music. Irish Independent. ISSN 0021-1222.
  2. ^ Smither, Tanis (18 August 2021). "John Francis Flynn: "I'd say some of the traditional community would probably hate this album."". Opinion. Hot Press. ISSN 0332-0847. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  3. ^ Cartwright, Garth (19 January 2022). "John Francis Flynn is leading Ireland's folk music renaissance". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ Rogers, Jude (9 July 2021). "John Francis Flynn: I Would Not Live Always review – an extraordinary debut". Music. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  5. ^ Rogers, Jude (20 December 2021). "The 10 best folk albums of 2021". Music. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ Rogers, Jude (6 August 2021). "Billie Eilish, Leon Bridges and more: August's best album reviews". Music. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  7. ^ Brayden, Kate (30 July 2021). "Album Review: John Francis Flynn – I Would Not Live Always". Opinion. Hot Press. ISSN 0332-0847. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  8. ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (11 December 2021). "The top 10 Irish and international albums of 2021". Music. The Irish Times. ISSN 0791-5144.
  9. ^ Murray, Eoin (26 October 2021). "Anois, Os Ard: October In Irish Underground Music By Eoin Murray". The Quietus. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ Hughes, Rob (30 July 2021). "John Francis Flynn – I Would Not Live Always". Reviews > Albums. Uncut. ISSN 1368-0722. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ "John Francis Flynn". Official Charts Company. n.d. Retrieved 7 November 2023.

External links[edit]

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