Iechyd Da cover

Iechyd Da

Released

As a solo artist, Bill Ryder-Jones had trodden a notably different musical path to his former bandmates in The Coral, his emotionally fragile songs casting him at times as the Wirral’s answer to Elliott Smith. A comparison that might have sounded hyperbolic before Jones’ astonishingly accomplished fifth album. Iechyd Da (“good health” in Welsh) was born out of a particularly fraught period for Jones: breakups, breakdowns and a dependency on sedatives making an already difficult lockdown even more so. Yet like Sparklehorse or Mercury Rev (who’s Deserter’s Songs is a clear influence here), out of his own despair Jones creates a work of remarkable beauty, songs such as children’s choir-assisted “We Don’t Need Anyone” and “This Can’t Go On”’s epic, end-of-its-tether desperation sparkling with a transcendence that feels defiant, even optimistic.

Chris Catchpole

Suggestions
Foxbase Alpha cover

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne
Cavalo cover

Cavalo

Rodrigo Amarante
Midas cover

Midas

Wunderhorse
Regeneration cover

Regeneration

The Divine Comedy
Cardinal cover

Cardinal

Pinegrove
Not Too Far Away cover

Not Too Far Away

Joan Armatrading
True Meanings cover

True Meanings

Paul Weller
Trade Secrets cover

Trade Secrets

Dragon Inn 3
Blómi cover

Blómi

Susanne Sundfør