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.
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]
Iechyd Da received a score of 90 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2]Mojo felt that the album "documents a period of intense anguish with careful understatement and smart musical references".[4] 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 – his lyrics remain raw and direct – or melodic knack".[5]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".[3] 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."[6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bill Ryder-Jones, except where noted. All tracks are arranged by Bill Ryder-Jones.
Iechyd Da track listing
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.