Gentle Good: Y Bardd Anfarwol (CD on Bubblewrap Collective)

Band: Gentle Good
Label: Bubblewrap Collective
Title: Y Bardd Anfarwol

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Band:Gentle Good
Title:Y Bardd Anfarwol
Reviewed By:Lisa Torem
Date Published:10/01/2014

Label:Bubblewrap Collective
Format:CD
Release Year:0
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Beginning with the chatter of animated Chinese voices and a highly charged acoustic solo, ‘Erdddigan Chengdu’ melts into a gorgeous folk guitar/flute solo. The flute touchingly reverberates and the hypnotic sounds of tweeting birds fill the background.

Delightful harmonies follow.

‘Antiffoni’ starts out raw, wildly suspenseful and percussive before assuming a rollicking dreamlike state. The guitar moves along at a serious clip, as though anxious to keep up with the sublime Chinese instrumentation.

‘Yr Wylan Fry’ is a warm vocal. ‘Ymadael Dinas Brenin Gwyn’ is also beset with those native twittering birds. This extremely elegant piece boasts a fierce call and response between the Welsh and Chinese counterparts. The result is a sweeping, weeping, fugue-like masterstroke.

‘Marwnad Chang-Kan’ features a stunning female vocal performance and then a male-female duet. ‘Meddyliau Distaw’r Nos’ is a infusion of classical Chinese at its best.

‘Yfed Gyda’r Lleuad’ provides a great juxtaposition between the ancient and the contemporary.

‘Brwydr An Lushan’ is quite effective even though it relies heavily on percussion. ‘Edau Gwyn’ begins with chanting and the strike of a gong, and then a high-wired guitar. ‘Afon Arian’ has a breathtaking melody. The last two numbers, ‘Afon Arian’ and ‘Bore Braf’ are concise, but absorbing; the latter featuring a series of maddening rhythms.

What ties these lithe pieces together is Gareth Bonello, who took up a six-week residency in China. Once there he collaborated with Chinese musicians and then returned to the UK to work with Seb Goldfinch, the Mavron String Quartet and some of the UK Chinese Ensemble to record ‘Y Bardd Anfarwol.’ What is even more impressive is the narrative thread – it tells the story of much beloved poet Li Bai through Welsh and Chinese sensibilities.

The album is stunningly beautiful in its textures, and a wonderful, pragmatic use of each and every instrument, voice and theme. It honours Li Bai’s life in an imaginative, colourful and vibrant way.

Track Listing:

01) Erddigan Chengdu
02) Antiffoni
03) Yr Wylan Fry
04) Ymadael Dinas Brenin Gwyn
05) Marwnad Chang-Kan
06) Meddyliau Distaw'r Nos
07) Yfed Gyda'r Lleuad
08) Brwydr an Lùshan
09) Edau Gwyn
10) Afon Arian
11) Bore Braf
12) Dienw

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Related Links

http://thegentlegood.tumblr.com/
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Gentle+Good
http://www.thegentlegood.com/
https://twitter.com/ghbonello
https://www.facebook.com/ghbonello

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Stunningly beautiful folk pop, sung in his native Welsh and inspired by a trip to China, from the Gentle Good, the project of experimental musician Gareth Bonello

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Y Bardd Anfarwol - CD
Stunningly beautiful folk pop, sung in his native Welsh and inspired by a trip to China, from the Gentle Good, the project of experimental musician Gareth Bonello

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