Hot on the heels of Annie Dressner’s song comes another from Katy Hurt. ‘Rather Be’ is a fitting companion to the former’s ‘For the Thrill of It’ – both tackling the subject of misogyny in the music industry with candour and irony. The approach is classic Katy. The sound a mix of country, blues and rock, slowly building to a high energy performance that rips through its subject. The lyrics cleverly subversive and constantly playful. Three moments in particular stand out. The first, her response to words like “blondie” and “cutie-pie” with the expression “eww”. The second, a delightful plot twist, in which “I can’t wait for you to ask me to tie the knot… not!” And the third comes at the song’s end when, having laid bare her preference for anything other than this man’s affections, she literally slams a door in his proverbial face. It is all very ingeniously written, told in Katy’s own inimitable style. Having gone quite introspective with recent singles ‘Seasons’ and ‘Oh Girl’, it’s nice to see her back, in this case bringing down the “Mr Persistent[s]” of this world, with her dry wit and spirited humour.
These are exciting times for Joe Martin. ‘Strangers to Lovers’ is the first single off his next album, and it promises much. Since I last saw him live, the Lancashire singer-songwriter has honed his craft. Pushing into a troubadour identity of which this song is representative. An acoustic rendering in part influenced by his producer, James Wyatt. It gives the theme of lost love a raw edge. A bittersweet sadness shot throughout. Culminating in the final chorus line, “We went from strangers to lovers / and back to strangers again”. This is storytelling at its most basic. But in the vocal, Joe Martin imbues it with emotional depth. The result, like the rest of his set at the British Music Experience last week, is quietly captivating.
Annie Dressner is not a new name to me. But her music is. And as with Demi Marriner, I wonder why it’s taken so long for her songs to land in my ear. For her latest release led me straight to her back catalogue. To a fabulously folky 2024 album which new single ‘For the Thrill of It’ builds on. Here, the subject matter belies its boppy exterior. The prevalence of misogyny brought to task through a series of images that question its legality. She does so in a very Kacey Musgraves way – through humour and irony, but against a backdrop of punkish pop. A protest song for the 21st Century.
It was Newport’s time to shine in S4C’s latest drama series Ar y Ffin. Made much of in a Guardian article prior to broadcast, the city is often overlooked by its capital cousin, but becomes a metaphor here for the title character’s own story. Erin Richards is superb as Claire Lewis Jones, a magistrate and mother who has tried, with a great degree of success, to step out of the shadow of her unsavoury past. Yet she is still haunted by a ghost, in the form of Pete Burton (played by Tom Cullen), a shady local gangster whose criminal activities come slowly to collide with Claire’s personal and professional life across the course of six episodes. And whilst at times there are threads in the narrative which suggest too much artistic licence has been wrought, writers Georgia Lee and Hannah Daniel still offer enough entertaining twists and turns to ensure the implausible never make Ar y Ffin unwatchable.
One of the draws of this drama is the mother-daughter relationship at its centre. Lauren Morais is excellent as troubled teen Beca, whose trajectory of travel is, we come to find out, much like her mother’s was back in the day. The way that Claire seeks to protect her, sometimes at great personal and professional cost, is made all-the-more heartfelt by Richards steely portrayal. She follows in a long line of similar female protagonists in Welsh TV drama, balancing a strong exterior with a hidden vulnerability that eeks out as the series progresses. Beca is much the same, though Morais adds a stubborn teenage bolshiness to mask her susceptibility. Ultimately, both characters cast a shadow of weakness over their respective partners – husband Al (Matthew Gravelle) burying his head in the sand over financial problems whilst Beca’s boyfriend Sonny softens towards the series’ end.
There is clearly appetite from the production team to continue Ar y Ffin. Its conclusion feels far too open to simply leave it at that. Where it goes from here is open to question, but with Beca clearly emerging as a central character alongside her mother Claire, further exploration of that relationship would prove invaluable to keep viewers’ interest beyond the standard criminal fare of Pete and his boys. That might involve a trip over the border perhaps, given the final scene. But whether this drama expands beyond or keeps Newport as its central focus, it has been refreshing to see a different Welsh city as a backdrop. A reminder that urban stories are not limited to Cardiff.
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.
For UK fans of Noah Kahan, look no further than Owen Morton. The Liverpudlian has clearly drawn influence from his American counterpart for his latest single ‘Mine’. With that same rhythmic guitar and light pop that bounces along with a smile, Morton captures the blissful joy of a romantic relationship. The link to Autumn may be tentative in the lyrics but the music revels in such a season. Conveying warmth and playfulness, it dances like leaves around a tree of besotted love where “We’re intertwined / until the end of time”. Descriptions like this may have the sweetness of a pumpkin-spiced latte but when served up in such a delightful arrangement the result becomes a highly enjoyable taste. It definitely makes Owen Morton one-to-watch going into 2025.
‘Daybreaker’ is the continuation of Katherine Priddy’s musical mini-series. Following last month’s ‘Close Season’, she once again teams up with Simon Armitage for what is effectively its conclusion. Having carried us through the “bitingly cold” revelation of an affair, this second part offers a hopeful ending. Our protagonist is “leaving [that] town called midnight / … [that] home called snow” and stepping into the metaphors of Spring. Beginning with the gentle strumming of a guitar, the song’s arrangement gradually grows like a sunrise. Bursting into life with percussive beauty and dramatic choral waves as it reaches its peak. Lyrics like “suddenly everything’s golden / a phoenix is perched in a tree” only add to the poetic feeling of new life after a particularly turbulent period. It may be subtle but the rock-infused energy combined with Katherine’s wispy vocals ensure both continuity and change with the first track. Telling an emotional story across both, together, they really are a treat to listen to.
After a quiet 2024, Olivia Lynn returns to the UK Country scene with her new single ‘Open’. It is a reminder of how infectious her blend of British Pop and Modern Country is. How masterful her lyrical storytelling can be. Here, the expectant mother doesn’t just show her vulnerability but makes it the central theme of the song. “My momma told me / I was always way too open”, she admits. This three-and-a-half minutes is a celebration of that fact. Against a wonderfully-bouncy backdrop of acoustic guitar, she shares the struggles that come with such sincerity, along with a quiet determination not to change. In doing so, her rich introspection becomes relatable, adding to the appeal of the track. It all feeds the anticipation for what is rumoured to be a forthcoming album. In 2025, it appears Olivia Lynn is back.
The new single from Helen Maw feels like a fitting companion piece to her debut album. The hinge on which she now pivots. For after “distilling her emotions” in ‘Growing Pains’, ‘The Moment’ is that decision to let go and move on. It continues her penchant for soulful storytelling. But it’s the guitar rather than piano that takes centre stage. Andy Down’s effective noodling creating a sense of closure that feels right. Maw has arrived at the end of one chapter and beginning of another, where “there is nothing left to say”. The point at which, on this Country-tinged track, she grasps the future with a quiet optimism. And continues, in her performance, to enchant.
Having come to associate Rebecca Richards with the Country ballad, ‘Aces are High’ shoots across to the other end of the spectrum. Her new single is more ‘Goodbye Earl’ than ‘Wide Open Spaces’. With plenty of electric guitar to boot. Telling the story of how one woman overcame a violent and abusive childhood, the song is as visceral in its narrative as it is harrowing. The theme of domestic abuse looms large. Its consequences sad and painful. But even as her mother and sister don’t make it out alive, “through sheer determination… I became the woman my daddy would hate”. In the end, the protagonist wins out in dramatic fashion. The impassioned music coming to represent a victorious cry without ever losing a sense of heartache. Her “retribution” undertaken with all of them in mind. ‘Aces are High’ is, by any standard, a classic Country revenge song. But it’s also, to give Rebecca Richards credit, a very well-written and executed one too.
‘Aces are High’ will be released on the 31st January 2025 and will be available to listen to via Spotify and other music streaming services.
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