Album Review – GWENNO – Y Dydd Olaf
I love Gwenno… It’s an affair that’s been ongoing for a few years now and Y Dydd Olaf only cements the relationship…
Gwenno could have so easily sold her soul to the soulless corporate rock ‘n’ roll, that neither rocks or rolls, but instead she has produced this accomplished piece of work.
Y Dydd Olaf is smooth enough to be mainstream material and quirky enough to nestle in your record collection (between Gwacamoli and H.Hawkline in my house!).
The absolutely stunning single Chwyldro kicks off proceedings… That slo-beat, those pleasing chords, her sultry vocal, and uplifting chorus,
‘Paid anghofio,’ she says.. How could we..?
Calon Peiriant could actually replace a heart machine and have you up and on your feet; despite a spooky guitar and long reverb vocals it somehow happily skips along to guarantee there’s no flat-liners on Gwenno’s watch.
Love the fact that Dawns Y Blaned Dirion is a kinky minute and a half of a trebled up bass purely for art’s sake before the very haunting Golau Arall sheds another slow strobe light on proceedings… It’s smooth, it’s sophisticated, you can drift off listening or you can marvel in the production, the layers of sounds, the subtlety, the beauty…
Title track Y Dydd Olaf has a very French 1970s bass guitar feel to it, either that, or this bottle of Sailor Jack is going to my head… No, perhaps I’m a bit wrong… It reminds me of Pink Floyd’s ‘Obscured By Clouds’ album, which was actually written as a soundtrack for the French film La Vallée… Great tune, love the collapse at the end.
The single Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki is next, like an old friend… Good to hear from you old friend… Not sure what Fratolish means, or what language it’s in, maybe Malayan?
Amser wraps things up, far softer without being a ballad, almost like a lullaby… But don’t go to sleep just yet… Play the whole album again, only this time, yes, marvel at it’s pure beauty, but also take on board the fact it’s also a concept release loosely based on a Welsh sci-fi novel called Y Dydd Olaf. In this future, robots clone the human race through medication… Despite the sci-fi reference, there is a lot of political punching going on through these songs… And yeah, I’m gonna be cheesy now – it’ll knock you out… (boom!).
If this is to be my Dydd Olaf… I’ll go happy with this excellent album in my cloned head…
Get it now from Peski Records – you know it makes sense
UPDATE: Licensed to Heavenly Records and released with bonus disc on 22.06.15
