It’s always a pleasure listening to the music of Nia Wyn. Her truth is worn with such beautiful honesty. None more so than on her debut album, ‘A Pleasure to Have in Class’. The Welsh singer-songwriter seems to have finally settled on her sound. Confidence brimming on a record that oozes with Jazz and Soul. Mixed with RnB, it amalgamates old and new, modern and contemporary, 60s through to now, to create an enthralling listen.
All these elements are on show right from the opening track. ‘Start Again’ one of several songs on which the musical arrangement soars into a dawning sky. Here carrying a message of how love can transform us. An act of self-reflection that Nia Wyn is an expert at. It’s what makes a track like ‘Paranoid’ so much more affecting. Bringing her personal experience (of mental health in this instance) to bear on a narrative where authenticity meets complexity. The swirling saxophone at the song’s end representing both frustration and freedom.
Part of Nia Wyn’s truth comes from this wrestling with identity. The title track reveals this most acutely, through lyrics which lay bare the façade behind which her true self has been hidden. Undertaken against a retro backdrop of Motown-inspired Soul, the clarity of her self-awareness, particularly in the second verse, is to be much admired. Like listening in to the conclusion of a therapy session. The chorus lines only underline this sense of false appearance, on an album that blossoms elsewhere as she casts it off and finds herself.
‘Your Team’ is a wonderful anthem for the queer community. Pressing again into first-hand experience of the assumptions made in our heteronormative society. She tackles the patriarchal view of (female) bodies with a frankness channelled through Philadelphia Soul. The result is an unapologetic appraisal. An unashamed celebration. Paired with the powerful political message of ‘It’s My Business’, this is where the heart of Nia Wyn is expressed most profoundly. Unafraid to call out the truth. In both senses of the word.
Tucked in between is the fabulous ‘Nothing Good (Ever Comes From Dreaming)’, an almost-psychedelic vibe merging with contemporary jazz to evoke the spirit of Amy Winehouse. The trumpet communicating a touch of melancholy. Infused with a poetic realism:
“I don’t want to close my eyes / because when the sun rises / I’m terrified”
When it comes down to it, Nia Wyn remains a storyteller at heart. Final track ‘Blue Grey Eyes’ stripping back to just her and the acoustic guitar. The Country/Gospel vibes something of a surprise after the dominant genres that come before. Rather than being out of place however, it feels like the perfect way to round off an album punctuated by the sounds of the past yet rooted in the urban present. The culmination of a journey where she has found both herself and her sound.
You can purchase a copy of ‘A Pleasure to Have in Class’ from Nia’s Bandcamp page here. She will be touring the album later in the year, dates for which can be found here.
Featured Image (C) Nia Wyn
desperatelylostcity.com 