Bobby Flynn - Out Front (Album)
I must admit, I used to be an Idol fan. Yes, I tuned in to Australian Idol every Sunday night (Monday night, Tuesday night…every night really) with my flat mates to see who would get kicked off, have to sing their “last song” and get all teary in the process, to see who would stay (despite their bad fashion sense, dodgy voice, etc) and to general pick the whole thing apart, whilst secretly loving every minute of popstar trash.
Then, just when we were getting comfortable with the typical hot boy and shapely girl, along comes this little man with a fairly decent mop of hair, doing covers of 'Under The Milky Way' with mask-like make up and with a voice of someone much older, distinguished and totally unique. The man that changed the Idol format forever, Bobby Flynn.
Love him or hate him (as most of the bratty 12 year-olds voting obviously did), you have to admit that Flynn has an amazing aura about him. His voice tells a story with every breath and his approach to music, singing and song writing is captivating and different, more so than anything else you’ve probably every heard before.
Hailing from Brisvegas, and training in singing, guitar and piano from an early age certainly has assisted Flynn on his path to indie success, even before he hit the Idol stage.
On this album, Flynn’s debut release titled Out Front he encapsulates this magic onto 11 intricate, developed, yet completely seperate in nature, tracks. This album, as well as the previous EP, features his band The Omega Three, consisting of Zachary Armytage (guitar), Mickey Levis (bass), Dominic Hede (Drums) and Jaymis Loveday (visuals).
The only complaint I would have about Out Front, albeit minor, is that sometimes Flynn’s songwriting doesn’t follow through on the same line right through. This can make it difficult, especially for a fresh listener, to engage with the music. I think song placement on this album could have been changed also, to assist a nicer flow and journey throughout.
But, highlights and special moments saturate this release, shadowing the minute faults you might find; 'Out Of The Blue' is catchy yet unusual, single 'The Boy Had Trouble' is mysterious, with a luscious string section and of course, cover 'Under The Milky Way', proves yet again to be a remarkable experience.
The artwork that graces the cover of Out Front, the gorgeous swallows that make up Bobby Flynn’s face, part of a larger piece featured on the actual disc, symbolise part of what makes this release so special.
Flynn’s voice has this sensual, yet accessible nature that will see him go a long way in the indie scene, once he gets over the Idol hump and really corners his market. His backing band The Omega Three are solid, embellishing where necessary, but most of all giving Flynn the room to express and manoeuvre his voice, coming together to create a perfect ensemble and some truly great tunes.
