Iechyd Da
2024 studio album by Bill Ryder-Jones
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Iechyd Da is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones, released on 12 January 2024 through Domino Recording Company. It is his first album in five years, and received acclaim from critics.
| Iechyd Da | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 January 2024 | |||
| Studio | Yawn, West Kirby, England | |||
| Length | 48:42 | |||
| Label | Domino | |||
| Producer | Bill Ryder-Jones | |||
| Bill Ryder-Jones chronology | ||||
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Background
The album was produced by Ryder-Jones at his Yawn studio in West Kirby, England. Its title translates as "good health" in Welsh, while the title of the final track, "Nos Da", means "goodnight".[1] Ryder-Jones stated that he has not been "this proud of a record since A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart" and called it his "most produced record".[1]
Critical reception
Iechyd Da received a score of 90 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eleven critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3] Mojo felt that the album "documents a period of intense anguish with careful understatement and smart musical references".[9] Shaun Curran of Record Collector called it "a truly wonderful record, one that embellishes Ryder-Jones' writing in ways both grand and unusual, without sacrificing any of the closeness â his lyrics remain raw and direct â or melodic knack".[12] The Guardian's Dave Simpson described it as "overwhelmingly lovely, with classy hooks and rousing choruses" and remarked that Ryder-Jones's "closely mic-ed voice is fragile, delicate, even on the edge of croaky, giving the impression he's sharing intimacies directly with the listener".[7] Reviewing the album for Uncut, Laura Barton found it to contain "songs marked by a remarkable closeness, by the intimacy of place and people" in "a world filled with colloquialisms and gentle wit, where we were all on first-name terms and the geography sat in our marrow."[13]
Year-end lists
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bill Ryder-Jones, except where noted. All tracks are arranged by Bill Ryder-Jones.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Know That It's Like This (Baby)" (Bill Ryder-Jones, Caetano Veloso) | 4:32 |
| 2. | "A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart Pt. 3" | 3:57 |
| 3. | "If Tomorrow Starts Without Me" | 3:06 |
| 4. | "We Don't Need Them" | 4:55 |
| 5. | "I Hold Something in My Hand" | 3:04 |
| 6. | "This Can't Go On" (Ryder-Jones, William Hines) | 4:30 |
| 7. | "...And the Sea..." | 2:10 |
| 8. | "Nothing to Be Done" | 4:02 |
| 9. | "It's Today Again" | 3:33 |
| 10. | "Christinha" | 4:04 |
| 11. | "How Beautiful I Am" | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Thankfully for Anthony" | 4:54 |
| 13. | "Nos Da" | 1:37 |
| Total length: | 48:42 | |
Notes
- "I Know That It's Like This (Baby)" samples "Baby", written by Caetano Veloso, as performed by Gal Costa.
Personnel
- Bill Ryder-Jones â vocals, production, mixing
- Amy Chalmers â violins
- Ian Stephens â cello
- Martin Smith â horns
- Andy Frizell â flute
- Phil Murphy â drums
- Bidston Avenue School Choir
- Guy Davie â mastering
- James Ford â mixing
- Felipe Chapman-Fromm â engineering
- Liam Power â engineering
- Nathaniel Cummings â engineering
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] | 3 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 69 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[19] | 30 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] | 2 |