Scottish musician Johnny Lynch (the Pictish Trail) has released his latest album Future Echoes.
By Jane Howkins.
Pictish Trail (the main project of one Mr Johnny Lynch) released Future Echoes last September. We never got round to checking the album out at the time, but thought that now would be the perfect chance to have a listen, especially considering that the band will be heading out on tour across the U.K. in April with a Yorkshire date in Leeds on the 14th of that month.
The first noticeable thing about Future Echoes is how much there is going on on the record. Lush textures pervade throughout, with each track featuring wonderful soundscapes filled with innovative and exciting melodies. Lynch is obviously very talented, and the imagination presented on these songs is astounding. There’s a lot going on, but it never sounds too much – a skill that many artists fail to understand. However, in order to fully grasp what is happening on Future Echoes, it is important to listen to the album quite a few times. On the first couple of listens it will sound nice, but it is repeated listens that truly manage to open the songs up.
It’s very spacey, with a dream-like atmosphere carrying most of the songs along. This adds a flow to proceedings, with tracks at certain points blurring into one so that you could almost think Future Echoes was like one long song. That isn’t a criticism though – it’s just a point about how well the songs on the album have been chosen, with the track listing being in what seems to be a perfect order. The production also adds to this, with a sleek yet not overproduced feel to it that sounds magic.
Future Echoes is an excellent album. Don’t forget to pick up a ticket to see Pictish Trail on tour in April – we have a feeling it will be an enlightening experience!