John Flanagan: There’s Another Way To Where You’re Going

In the quieter but no less engaging Australian corner, we have the Melbourne-raised singer-songwriter John Flanagan with his second album, There’s Another Way To Where You’re.

There has been a seven-year gap between albums for the folk-country musician, having released his debut Meet Me In Between back in 2009. The gap has allowed a wonderful maturing of sound. There’s Another Way To Where You’re Going sees the paring back of the fiddle and banjo and an emphasis on mellow melodies, deeply personal lyrics and some altogether beautiful, nimble fingerpicking. Despite being recorded in Nashville and produced by Viktor Krauss, brother of bluegrass/country singer Alison Krauss, Flanagan’s second album really is a homage to Melbourne. This is evident on the love song ‘You Make The World Beautiful’ where Kew Junction and Fitzroy’s Smith Street feature in the romance. And album opener and first single ‘High On High’ lauds both the suburb of Thornbury and the city itself.

A relaxed mix of ’70s folk, modcon Americana and Melburnisms, Flanagan’s second album is quite special.