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After departing from the Coral in 2008 following the success of five albums in the Top 10, Bill Ryder-Jones has been working diligently in his Yawn studio located in West Kirby on the Wirral Peninsula. He has produced albums for artists such as Saint Saviour, Brooke Bentham, and Michael Head (his acclaimed masterpiece, Dear Scott, was released in 2022). In addition, his solo albums created in the Yawn studio have showcased a unique and distinct musical style. This has ranged from orchestral soundtracks (his 2011 debut album If…); delicate and raw folk-rock (2013’s A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart); edgy and emotionally vulnerable rock songs (2015’s West Kirby County Primary); and deeply moving slowcore with traces of dark humor in 2018’s Yawn, later reimagined as the acoustic Yawny Yawn. Now, Iechyd Da (which means “good health” in Welsh) adds another layer to his evolving sound with his growing production skills. The album features a haunting sample from Brazilian singer Gal Costa’s 1969 single, Baby; disco-inspired arrangements; a children’s choir; and even Michael Head reading excerpts from James Joyce’s Ulysses (in the instrumental track …And the Sea…). The creative fire within Ryder-Jones has also been fueled by a five-year gap between albums, the pandemic, a break-up during lockdown, and his ongoing struggles with mental health.
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He left the Coral, a band he helped create at the age of 13, due to depression, agoraphobia, and panic attacks before performances. It wasn’t widely known at the time, but he had already experienced a traumatic event: his older brother’s death in a cliff fall when they were both children. In his 2015 song “Daniel,” Ryder-Jones addresses the impact this had on his family, but this sadness has always been present in his music. Even in his most uplifting moments, there is a lingering feeling of melancholy, as if pain and joy can never truly be separated. The opening track, “I Know That It’s Like This (Baby),” starts off as a blissful love song with references to 60s pop, but gradually reveals self-doubt and the realization that he will never be enough for his partner. The piano ballad “A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart Pt 3” is a gentle goodbye to someone who only reaches out when they are lonely, but the line “oh how I loved you” holds both anger and fond memories. And in the song “If Tomorrow Starts Without Me,” Ryder-Jones imagines a world where he no longer exists, but adds playful strings and a hopeful message, stating that even if it all ends tomorrow, he has had a good life and accomplished some things.
From a musical standpoint, the album is not at all somber. It is overwhelmingly delightful, with elegant melodies and uplifting choruses. There is even a recurring sense of euphoria, though it may be of a transcendent and whimsical nature that often accompanies the complicated emotional aftermath of trauma. Ryder-Jones skillfully incorporates a children’s choir, whose voices transform “We Don’t Need Them” from a song about isolation to one of unity and resilience. Similarly, “This Can’t Go On” uses the classic Motown technique of pairing poignant lyrics with an upbeat melody. The song depicts the artist in a state of distress – wandering all night, listening to Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon,” and being urged by others to “go outside, get some sun” – before the album’s most ethereal strings provide a turning point from the brink.
His voice, recorded closely, is delicate and vulnerable, almost sounding hoarse at times, as if he’s confiding in the listener. Despite his struggles with depression, the songs continue to bring hope and positivity. The piano on “Nothing to Be Done” has hints of Them’s 1966 hit “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” and the children on “It’s Today Again” add a bittersweet touch with their lyrics: “There’s something wonderful about life / There’s also something not quite right.” This track may even bring tears to jaded adults, while the second to last song, “Thankfully for Anthony,” celebrates the healing power of friendship and love: “I may still be lost, but I have known love / And I have experienced loss, but I have chosen love.” Ryder-Jones has never been concerned with commercial success (otherwise he would have stayed with The Coral), but the timing of this album couldn’t be better. As we enter another potentially difficult year, it serves as a reminder that there is strength in darkness.
“Iechyd Da” is available for release on January 12th.
music
Dave listened to music this week.
Steven Dove and Gian Battaglia – BVD de Strasbourg
The upcoming album Alone @ Dusk features electronica with mesmerizing beats and haunting baselines, inspired by the continental duo’s response to modern cityscapes.
Source: theguardian.com
