| Iechyd Da | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
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.
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]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.5/10 [2] |
| Metacritic | 90/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Clash | 8/10 [5] |
| DIY | [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| MusicOMH |  [10] |
| NME | [11] |
| Record Collector | [12] |
| Uncut | [13] |
Iechyd Da received a score of 90 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight 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 – his lyrics remain raw and direct – 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]
| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOJO | 75 Best Albums of 2024 | 5 | [14] |
| Rough Trade UK | Albums of the Year 2024 | 19 | [15] |
| Uncut | 80 Best Albums of 2024 | 16 | [16] |
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
| 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 |