You had me at Estrons. I was a huge fan of Estrons (sadly no more) and You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough is in my top 20 all time albums so when I got the PR email saying that Rhodri Daniel, one of the founding members of the band, has released the single ‘Paid Becso Am Dim’ (Welsh for ‘Don’t worry about a thing’) under the moniker heddlu (‘police’); I was listening within seconds.
It’s not been an easy journey for Daniel who suffered damage to his hearing coupled which manifested as tinnitus and acute sensitivity to noise and led to not being able to play live. His sister was a great source of comfort during these times and as his hearing slowly recovered he began to return to music, initially with 2022’s Cantref and now the forthcoming album Tramor which explores his years in the musical wilderness and newfound hope.
The song was written for his sister who has been fighting cancer for the past few years and it’s mantra for optimism and hope and a way of returning the love and support he received from her during his dark times. The good news is that she is now in remission.
‘Paid Becso Am Dim’ fits into the liminal space between punk and new wave and brought back some happy memories of listening to early Teardrop Explodes. It’s hugely uplifting with a bouncy Motown drumbeat forming its backbone. Guitars punch out chords on the beat, spongy vocoder vocals and soaring tunes abound, and the lightly fuzzed guitar and vocal harmonies are a delight as they flow in and out of the reedy organ that ties everything together. The overall effect has a giddy euphoric momentum that makes you reach for the repeat button. Woop-woop! it’s the sound of the heddlu.
Review by Paul F Cook
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