7/10

If there was any rags to riches Hollywood story in the music industry right now, it would be the astronomic success of Gerry Cinnamon. Despite releasing his debut album 'Erratic Cinematic' in his early thirties, filled with nothing more than a string of high-energy acoustic guitar jams in a broad Scottish ascent, word quickly began to spread about his unique and magnetic charisma, leading to numerous festival performances and becoming one of the must-see acts of the last few years. Now after three years of buzz, he returns with his eagerly-awaited follow-up record 'The Bonny', a record that looks to continue the same stadium-filling direction.

While the rise of Gerry Cinnamon may seem like an unlikely ascent, given how much of his focus remains on the more sombre additions on this new collection, there is this magical connection he seems to have with the listener. Much like troubadours before him such as Frank Turner and Billy Bragg, he has this ever so faint punk edge running through each of his singles, giving him a more intimate and engaging persona than most on the singer-songwriter circuit. I guess when music fans have heard hundreds of bland and soulless musicians come and go over the years, Cinnamon's candour feels like a warm and inviting breath of fresh air by comparison.

But while you won't find anything distinctly different about his songwriting, the frontman has this wonderfully bold presence on this new release, making all those that questioned his rise see what all the fuss was about. 'The Bonny' makes for a suitable follow-up to his original output, and will no doubt serve as more ammunition for the bigger stages he has to look forward to in the future.