Release Date: 07/03/2011

Released On: Sbrigyn Ymborth

I’m a rubbish Welsh person. I don’t have an accent, live in the Home Counties and rarely get to visit the Land of my Fathers nowadays (surely my trip to the Green Man festival in August wasn’t the last time I went back?) Add to all of that I can’t speak a word of what is supposedly my native tongue and I really do seem to fail at being Welsh.

This isn’t some strange rant for no reason; you see dear reader this is a review of Dyddiau Du, Dyddiua Gwyn an album that is entirely in Welsh. The lyrics could be the most profound words ever put to music, or they could be the most awful poems ever conceived by man...but I wouldn’t have a fucking clue either way.

That said if you have no qualms about listening to songs in a foreign language  then Dyddiua Du, Dyddiau Gwyn is actually makes rather beautiful listening.

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog’s sound has more than a fair share of influence from American Country and Western...understandable that Cowbois in all likelihood translate into English as Cowboys. Add some folk, Americana and Rock that feature at different points through Dyddiau Du, Dyddiua Gwyn and you do have some good music to listen to. Celwydd Golaua Ydi Cariad is the personal favourite of mine with a musical style that could have come straight from the American Mid-West...rather than the village of Botwnnog in North West Wales.

The album is also very well balanced, with a good mix of upbeat, downbeat, high tempo and low tempo tracks that fit together perfectly to give this eight track offering an excellent pace.  The only issue with the pace during the entirety of Dyddiau Du, Dyddiua Gwyn is that at 8:38, penultimate track Ffarwel I Langyfelach Lon goes on for too long, filling up a quarter of the album on its own in the process!

While, assuming you don't speak the lingo, you may not understand a single word of Dyddiau Du, Dyddiua Gwyn from opening track Y Ffenast through to Ll’gada Gleision at the end, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth listening to. Quite the opposite, if you’re after something that’s completely different – though admittedly quite niche- you can do much worse than this offering from Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog.  Of course, if you like Gruff Rhys, then you'll love this.

Oh, and it turns out that I can understand a single word of this entirely Welsh album... Ll’gada’ Gleision;  that means....something Blue. Maybe I’m not as bad a Welshman as I thought after all.

8/10

Posted In Album Reviews, Mar 09 2011. Words - Danny