S
After departing from the Coral in 2008 following the success of five Top 10 albums, Bill Ryder-Jones has been actively working in his Yawn studio located in West Kirby on the Wirral Peninsula. He has produced records for various artists such as Saint Saviour, Brooke Bentham, and Michael Head (whose 2022 album Dear Scott was a masterpiece). In addition, his solo albums created in the Yawn studio have showcased his unique musical style, ranging from orchestral soundtracks (2011’s If…), to delicate folk-rock (2013’s A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart), to raw and emotional rock songs (2015’s West Kirby County Primary), and even melancholic slowcore and dark humor on 2018’s Yawn, which was later reimagined as the acoustic Yawny Yawn. His latest album, Iechyd Da (Welsh for “good health”), showcases his growing production skills with a mix of eerie samples, disco-inspired orchestrations, a children’s choir, and even a spoken word reading from James Joyce’s Ulysses. This creative fire has been fueled by a five-year hiatus, the pandemic, a breakup during lockdown, and Ryder-Jones’ ongoing struggles with mental health.
Bypass the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
He left the band Coral, which he co-founded at the age of 13, due to depression, agoraphobia, and panic attacks before performances. At the time, it was not widely known that he had already experienced a significant trauma: witnessing his older brother’s death in a cliff fall during their childhood. In his song “Daniel” from 2015, Ryder-Jones addresses the impact this had on his family, but the sadness from these experiences is still present in his music. His album “Iechyd Da” may be his most optimistic, but there is still a lingering sense of melancholy even in his most uplifting moments, as if pain and joy are inseparable. The gentle opening track “I Know That It’s Like This (Baby)” appears to be about a romantic crisis. It begins as a blissful love song with airy 60s pop influences and lyrics like “one kiss and I’m in heaven”, but it gradually reveals self-doubt and the realization that he will never be enough for his partner. The gorgeous piano ballad “A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart Pt 3” is a polite dismissal of someone who only calls when they are lonely. The line “oh how I loved you” simultaneously expresses anger and fond memories. And then there’s the extraordinary “If Tomorrow Starts Without Me”. While imagining a world without himself could be incredibly bleak, Ryder-Jones adds playful strings, a bouncing groove, a glimmer of hope (“give it one more night”), and the declaration that if it all ends tomorrow, he can say he had a good life and scored a few points.
In terms of music, the album is not dark at all. It is predominantly beautiful, with sophisticated hooks and uplifting choruses. There is even a recurring feeling of euphoria, although it is of a transcendental and exhilarating nature that often accompanies the complex emotional aftermath of trauma. Ryder-Jones cleverly incorporates a children’s choir, whose voices transform “We Don’t Need Them” from a song about isolation into a hymn celebrating togetherness and survival. Similarly, “This Can’t Go On” utilizes the classic Motown technique of pairing devastating lyrics with a cheerful melody. The song depicts the artist in a distressed state – walking all night, listening to Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon”, and being urged by others to “get outside, go get some sun” – before the album’s most heavenly strings guide him away from the edge.
His voice, captured closely by the microphone, exudes a fragile and delicate quality, at times even on the brink of hoarseness, giving the impression that he is sharing intimate thoughts directly with the listener. Despite his struggles with depression, the songs continue to bring a sense of light and hope. The piano in “Nothing to Be Done” faintly echoes Them’s 1966 hit “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, while the children contribute their best to “It’s Today Again” with its beautifully ambiguous hook: “There’s something great about life / There’s something not quite right.” This type of song may bring tears to the eyes of even the most hardened adults, but the penultimate track, “Thankfully for Anthony”, finds solace in friendship and companionship: “I’m still lost but I know love / And I know loss but I chose love.” Ryder-Jones has never been overly concerned with commercial success (or else he would have never left the Coral), but the timing of this album is perfect. At the start of what could be another tumultuous year, it serves as a reminder that there can be strength in the darkest of times.
The release date for Iechyd Da is January 12th.
music
Dave spent this week listening to music.
Steven Dove and Gian Battaglia – BVD de Strasbourg
The upcoming album Alone @ Dusk is said to be influenced by the continental-based duo’s response to contemporary urban environments, featuring hypnotic and beautiful electronica and eerie basslines.
Source: theguardian.com
