Sillion

Released in 2017, Sillion represents a more mature and sonically adventurous phase in Johnny Flynn's discography. The title itself is an archaic term for the thick, shiny soil turned over by a plow, a fitting metaphor for an album obsessed with the earth, mortality, and the cycles of life. Recorded during a period of personal transition and following his success in theater and film, the album maintains his signature literary approach - notably adapting W.B. Yeats in 'Wandering Aengus' - while introducing grittier, more experimental production elements. Tracks like 'Raising the Dead' showcase a willingness to disrupt traditional folk structures with distorted textures, while 'The Landlord' offers a sprawling, cinematic finale. Critically, the album was praised for its depth and Flynn's ability to make traditional-sounding folk feel urgent and contemporary. It stands as a centerpiece of the 21st-century British folk revival, bridging the gap between the pastoral and the avant-garde.