More about: Johnny Lloyd

Johnny Lloyd, ex Tribes frontman and newfound folk-pop star, is a shining example of coherent reinvention. Arriving with his sophomore album Cheap Medication today, the record is a follow up to an exciting abundance of new works including Volume One and Two Low Fidelity projects as well as the I Hate Suzie soundtrack. With today’s release a far cry from his earlier indie darling endeavours, the 12-track project sees Lloyd take a more measured approach to life and its complexities.

Writing the album songs in any free time he could muster up around family life, Johnny has returned with a timely and soothing record. Full of gliding nostalgia and charm, it’s in the same earthy world as his debut Next Episode Starts in 15 Seconds (and both albums were produced by Nathan Coen.) This time round however, due to lockdown, the album process saw Johnny achieve completion at home with musical helping hands Kapil Trivedi (Mystery Jets) and Pete Denton (The Kooks).

Lead single ‘Real Thing’ introduced the release back in September and it sets up the amorous theme we see consistently throughout the album - a theme that comes as no surprise when you learn Johnny is happily married to actress Billie Piper, with the addition of their baby daughter. ‘Real Thing’ is a shameless laying out of the unwavering love and adoration found in settling down; a display of the joy in finding someone who is just the “real thing”. Harmonica entries and camaraderie laden vocals, it’s a strong start - and a bit of a foot tapper.

Johnny and his reassessed priorities have proved that the passion hedonism requires can be reconfigured to apply to affairs of the heart. ‘Better Weather’ sees this intensity and its turmoil exhibited further. Nonchalant talk of running away, lighting cigarettes and “walking home thinking of you”, it seems he is besotted. Accompanied by weeping slide guitar and hammy harmonies, it’s an interesting juxtaposition that assigns an Americana instrumental to a very British concept; that we should just “wait for better weather”.

Title track ‘Cheap Medication’ is a slightly darker but flourishing song that channels an unexpected Vampire Weekend-esque calypso shake up. Displaying an endearing candour, Johnny questions “do you think I’m pretty, do you think I’m rich, do you think I’m lazy?” before an uplifting chorus transports the mood to something far more hopeful. Staying in this same grounding vein, early track ‘Based On Real Life’ is equally delicate. References to feeling “overwhelmed” and “leaving on a jet plane” lead the track, which provides an appreciative commentary on the small things in life. “Another world, the one where boy meets girl, where you follow all the rules and get a garden with a pool” is plaintively sung, compressing its weighted and historical existence.

A crooning lament that sees Johnny further lay out the laws of the land, ‘In This World’ displays an almost self-deprecating vulnerability. Johnny pleas “you can dance and you can sing, you can be with me or you can be with him” before expressing wishes to “ride a motorcycle”, “talk to God” and “fly in a plane”. These wishes, he acknowledges, can be achieved “if you want to”. With subtle mirroring of a young boy excitedly telling a teacher about his dreams, it’s a song full of small ambition and aspiration for simple contentment.

Romantic and comforting visuals arrive in abundance on many of the tracks and opening song ‘Suze’ sets this off immediately. Harry Nilsson style guitar paired with carousel organs and cavorting flutes, it’s got the calming air of a hazy day at a British seaside where you’re surrounded by the people you love the most. ‘Heavens Below’ and ‘Crash Site’ are tracks achieving a similar warm force. Theo Gosselin-esque imagery perfectly matches the euphoric Kodaline-round-the-campfire sonic; “We drive all night to the radio slow, sleep all day in the sun” Johnny confidently exclaims in ‘Crash Site’. Sympathetic and characterful instrumentals embroider these scenes set up by Lloyd’s salubrious words.

However, some moments in the record take on a more probing approach. ‘Oh Lord’ is a darker track explicitly asking the ‘Lord’ “why does the world go from green to grey overnight?” It’s a little bit indulgent and does conjure some sardonic tiny violins - but it’s frank in its delivery. ‘Heaven Up Here’ follows this and talks about wanting to stay in a place that feels like heaven; whilst manifesting a fear of going back down to where things aren’t as blissful. Sensitive flutes give the anxiety all the space it needs - it’s tentative and Johnny’s vocal is refreshingly exposing and intimate.

Lloyd is clearly unafraid of switching things up, pushing himself to try out new things whilst in keeping with his wholesome realm. Clearly a man with a new found love for simplicity, the album is wholly positive with a winning naivety. Adequate mentions of God remind us that there might just be one, and calming imagery calls attention to the simpler things we often overlook. If Johnny’s previous solo projects have taught us anything, it’s that he has a clear adoration for poignancy and sentiment. He never scrimps on tender lyrics that prioritise the poetry found in the mundane - and Cheap Medication is thankfully no different.

Cheap Medication is out now.

More about: Johnny Lloyd