For those who know the Lost Map record label, it is beloved. Johnny Lynch runs it from the Isle of Eigg located just off the west coast of Scotland. As well as releasing albums by outstanding artists such as Rozi Plain, Firestations, Alexia Avina, Martha Ffion and Ed Dowie, Johnny records and performs as Pictish Trail. The Follow Footsteps EP is a way point between 2022’s Island Family and the next album currently being recorded.
Lynch was persuaded by artist and friend Susan Bear to work on acoustic versions of songs from Island Family and says, “At the very start of 2024 I travelled down to La Chunky Studios in Glasgow, spending a few days recording guitar and vocal takes, along with Suse on electric piano and bass. We worked on three songs from Island Family – they sounded beautiful, but immediately we knew that they would benefit from some further accompaniment. My first thought was cello and harp, with my friends Semay Wu (The Earlies) and Gillian Fleetwood.”
The re-workings of ‘Island Family’, ‘Melody Something’, and ‘Nuclear Sunflower Swamp’ bring a serenity to the tracks. The original ‘Island Family’ is a light/dark tribal psychedelic stomp powered by a pounding drum machine and woozy backing but here it becomes a slowed down celestial procession with the sul ponticello of the strings and the harp’s murmuration plus lush barely-there harmonies from Susan Bear.
‘Melody Something’ originally jumped between a soft-shoe shuffle and epic widescreen panorama and now floats like early morning mist pooling around the rotating guitar line and ethereal harmonies from the vocals and long bowed cello. Closing the EP is ‘Nuclear Sunflower Swamp’, was originally edgy and syncopated and is now reimagined as a modern lullaby with all the beauty of a field of sunflowers following the light.
What Follow Footsteps shows is just how truly beautiful Johnny Lynch’s voice is. Much as it works fantastically against fuzzed up guitar and swirling electronics, when these are not present you get a clear view of his angelic soft burr. The arrangements give the vocals space to expand and fill the songs and these arrangements, especially the effervescent ripples of the harp, give the songs a gentle magnificence that acts as a tender antonym to the original versions.
If you don’t know the Lost Map label I can only encourage you to head to their site and discover the many wonders that await. Also, as autumn and winter approach, they also do a fine range of bobble hats.
Pictish Trail socials: X| Instagram | Facebook | Website
PICTISH TRAIL LIVE:
WED, SEP 25 @ THE LENDING ROOM, LEEDS *
THU, SEP 26 @ COMMON GROUND, OXFORD *
FRI, SEP 27 @ GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON *
SAT, SEP 28 @ KING’S PLACE, LONDON (w/ AFTERLANDS) *
SUN, SEP 29 @ THE PRINCE ALBERT, STROUD (SOLO)
MON, SEP 30 @ THE ENGINE ROOM, NORTH SHIELDS (SOLO)
FRI, OCT 4 @ LEITH FRANKLIN ACADEMICAL BEIGE CRICKET CLUB,
EDINBURGH (w/ SPECIAL GUESTS TBA) [SOLD OUT] *
SAT, OCT 5 @ COMMUNITY HALL, EAST LINTON *
FRI, OCT 25 @ THE CROWN HOTEL, NANTWICH (SOLO)
SAT, OCT 26-SUN OCT 27 @ BOIA FESTIVAL, ST DAVID’S, WALES
- = Special stripped-back shows, accompanied by Semay Wu on cello, Gillian Fleetwood on harp, and Susan Bear on keys/bass
Review by Paul F Cook
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