The Round-Up: Spring 2023
After soaking in some much-needed sunshine, we’re back feeling refreshed and ready to guide you through some of our favourite tracks released this Spring. From Overmono’s addictive breakdowns to Gwenno Morgan’s infectious groove, here's our round-up of the tracks you should be listening to right now.
Gillie: ‘Llawn’
Since returning to South Wales, following a near-ten-year-stay in London, Gillie has been blossoming into the artist she always wanted to be. Driving through jazz, afrobeat, and other percussive sounds, she added another gentle gem to her name in April as she dropped her second Welsh language single, ‘Llawn’. It’s a song where Gillie wanted to “sonically explore something that felt both rhythmically uncertain and free, with builds of tension throughout”, and if that’s anything to go by, ‘Llawn’ has that brief down to a tee. Sonically beautiful, and visually expressive - catch the accompanying music video here.
Gwenno Morgan: ‘Tad-cu’
Gwenno Morgan’s latest track might be her most ethereal work to-date, but it takes hold of much more than an infectious dance beat. Grounded by a looping chord progression and elevated by its subtle synth stabs, ‘Tad-cu’ courses through its chopped-up vocal-takes in a euphoric, carefree fashion. Finally reaching its peak at 3:15, ‘Tad-cu’ finds eternity in a stunning melody and a series of playful undertones, hence being on-loop with us since the 4th of May.
Gwilym: ‘rhan un’
It’s not uncommon to start to disconnect with an artist as they begin to move away from what they once were. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. Gwilym returned with part one of their long-awaited second album in May, and with that came a more refined, more mature version of themselves. Venting their frustrations of not being able to perform live for three years, the first half of the new collection is refreshingly vibrant, with sun-drenched soundscapes throughout. Supplementing their signature pop delivery with intimate soundscapes, glitchy textures, and the occasional lo-fi sample, ‘rhan un’ is a shift that feels entirely fitting to the band’s new expression of personality. Equally at home for those after-party hours or for that long hangover muse, Gwilym’s six-song EP is your new summer companion - and we cannot wait for the arrival of part two.
Pys Melyn: ‘Bolmynydd’
Early May Bank Holiday not only delivered sunshine and sweltering temperatures but also the release of Pys Melyn’s stunning double-single ‘Bolmynydd / Helynt’. The tracks, their first since their Welsh Music Prize 2021 nominated debut ‘Bywyd Llonydd’, launches the band’s anticipated second album, titled ‘Bolmynydd’. Featuring a slew of hazy rhythms and faint percussion, both ‘Bolmynydd’ and ‘Helynt’ present a translucent, loose listening that will follow your step all-day-long. The album, released via Ski Whiff Records, lands later this summer.
Rhys Dafis: ‘Trigo’
On his debut-single ‘Eli Haul’, Cardiff-based singer-songwriter Rhys Dafis invited us into his psychedelic and shoegaze influences. A calming, soothing step into that slow Sunday vibe, the track slowly drifts into a wash of ambient sounds, creating a comforting, tranquil place. The follow-up is more of the same, slipping from the dreamy and the dazed. Set to be officially released over the summer, dip into ‘Trigo’ here.
Lloyd Steele: ‘Tôn Gron’
Blending velvety vocals, skittering drumbeats, and luscious guitar licks - Lloyd’s latest offering is an instant earworm. Though based on his own personal introspection and the rarity of finding those “little good things in life”, the track makes for the perfect summer soundtrack - partly due to its honey-like melodies, but vastly attributed by Lloyd’s wistful whistling, making you slip into a dense daydream. With more singles on the horizon, keep an eye out for more music from Lloyd Steele.
Mali Hâf: ‘SHWSH!’
Curating her dream collab-list via our monthly mix last month - spanning from AURORA to ROSALÍA - this month sees Mali Hâf fuse together those eclectic tastes to create her own unique pop palette. Taking a slight diversion from her nu-jazz EP (2022), ‘SHWSH!’ takes a future-pop approach, with irregular bursts of euphoria. Don’t just take our word for it, watch the music video here.
Overmono: ‘Good Lies’
And last but by no means least, we couldn’t leave out brothers-of-the-moment Overmono on our round-up of favourite tracks released this spring. Tom and Ed Russell from Overmonnow, Monmouth, have quite rightly been soaking in rapturous reviews for their effervescent LP ‘Good Lies’ over the last few weeks, and it’s clear to see why. Soaring with infectious melodies, transmittable hooks, and addictive breakbeat breakdowns, the duo’s debut long-play communicates instantaneously with its listeners. With its unique electronica-meets-pop sound, ‘Good Lies’ is firmly placed as our album of the year so-far.
Catch our spring selections all in one place here:
