Folly Group – Down There!
(So Young)
Bursting onto the scene with their debut EP in 2021, there was something that felt ready and fully formed about London’s Folly Group. Though they did slot nicely into the Crack Cloud inspired school of young post-punks, there was a depth to both the songwriting and production of the quartet that definitely caught the attention of tastemakers and new music fans alike. And just two short years of further EP / single releases, lots of touring and a whole heap of radio play, we now have that all important debut album.
‘Big Ground’ opens up with the same urgency we’ve come to expect, wrapping Afrobeat rhythms around razor blade guitars and hooky, spoken word vocals. It’s an enticing opener that takes you into the deep, dark underbelly of London. ‘Do What I Can’ feels apprehensive and agitated but also fizzes with a driving chorus, once again proving that these dudes sure know their way around a hook.
My main takeaway from this record is that it’s mega catchy. Nearly every tune is an ear worm and perhaps the sign of its sturdiness is how heavy loaded it is with a new favourite tune popping up on each new listen; the slinky groove of ‘Frame’ is an intensely cool way to close the record, while ‘Pressure Pad’ swirls around your mind with another huge chorus.
It matches the same energy and excitement as that first EP, with impressive playing, interesting song structures and just generally solid tunes. I think that some may consider this as just another post-punk album, which I understand. But whilst a lot of young guitar bands seem to be really hitting their stride with their second album, it’s refreshing to see a band like Folly Group come out with all guns blazing on their debut. ‘Down There!’ is definitely the sound of the finished article, but still with loads of space to expand.
Bill Ryder-Jones – Iechyd Da
(Domino)
At the back end of 2018, Bill Ryder-Jones broke my heart and put it back together again with his gorgeous ‘Yawn’ record. Its bleary eyed melancholia and gentle, slow-core backing had me completely spellbound, becoming an instant album of the year contender just days after release. It seems that the West-Kirby born songwriter has had this effect on many others, with his previous LP’s all receiving star studded reviews, as well as his live shows growing in venue size with each new tour.
I find it hard to believe that nearly six years have passed since ‘Yawn’ came out, but Bill has been busy producing everyone else’s records at his own studio (sharing its name with the aforementioned ‘Yawn’), along with other collaborative projects and so on. But finally, having started work on it some time ago, we have ‘Iechyd Da’.
Having read that this was Bill’s attempt at trying to make something more majestic and brighter, both lyrically and sonically, I was slightly apprehensive going into this as I selfishly wanted another sad lad record. But actually, what we get is this prefect medium of sadness and hopefulness. A bit like the kind of day it is today as I type, frosty and freezing in temperature, but with the most warming, blue sky – this is an album of light and shade. ‘A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart pt. 3’ is a mid paced, heart aching ballad that builds into a waltz of choir assisted vocals, and with that, a personal song becomes universal.
Then you get something like ‘If Tomorrow Starts Without Me’, which is an upbeat, string soaked indie pop song with Bill trying to embrace love despite his default cynic setting. It’s a perfect portrayal of someone working through their feelings and trying to hold onto some light. As previously mentioned, it’s this dance between fear and hope that makes Bill more relatable than he’s ever been. This still has all the lo-fi, mumble pop intimacy of its predecessor, but somehow manages to push that into the widescreen, with bigger production, even more musical reference points (there’s a definite Gospel / Soul connection to the latter half of the record) and beautifully delivered lines.
Like his previous work, this is a slow baked affair that takes time to bed itself in and you just can’t deny the detail and care that’s gone into this record. It feels like Bill has worked really hard to make an album that is grand and warming, but still looks deep into the depths of his brain with delicacy and charm. Beautiful, timeless work from an all round talent.
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