{"product_id":"5055300318084-y-niwl","title":"Y Niwl","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePRODUCT DESCRIPTION \u003cbr\u003e Wrap up warm for some fantastic cold-weather surf from the not so balmy coasts of North Wales. The Guardian. Given its abundance of beaches, its something of a surprise to note that the brilliant debut album from Y Niwl pronounced Uh Nule and translated as The Fog is the first Welsh surf pop album ever made as far as we know. Were probably the first Welsh language instrumental surf band, if that makes sense, say the band. Y Niwls sound is something special surf pop with a bit of garage punk edge classic instrumental melodies that sound familiar but new. Inspired by the likes of Dick Dale, The Surfaris, The Champs, Joe Meek, The Shadows rather than their environment. North West Wales isnt an environment youd usually associate with surf music, they say. Instead of sexy Californians cruising along a beach in their sunglasses, think hairy men in anoraks huddled together for warmth in a mountainside cottage. The album track names are all numbers in Welsh though, confusingly for Welsh people, not reflective of the album sequence, lending an air of austerity to the self titled album. We started out as a surf rock band only, and stuck with that religiously until we realised some of the stuff wed written had little or no surf influence, they say. After that we tried to open ourselves up a bit more to experiment with different sounds and allow different influences to show. By this point Id describe it as more of deformed cold water surf music. The album was made with a huge concern for authenticity. It was recorded onto tape using decades-old techniques at Waless Bryn Derwen studio with engineer David Wrench a member of Julian Copes Black Sheep, producer for Euros Childs, engineer for Bat for Lashes, James Yorkston, British Sea Power and Hot Chip. Vintage gear was used where possible because as the band note it costs a bomb these days. And the whole thing was recorded live no overdubs, just a heap of reverb. Most of our material is edited jams, they say. We usually record ourselves jamming then take out the best bits and form a song. Other times, someone will come up with an idea and well work around that in the bassists cottage in a little Snowdonia village. Theyve had electricity for nearly a year now, so thats made rehearsing much easier. Y Niwl formed when a couple of the guys started getting into surf music, before soon expanding to the line up it is today Alun Evans guitar, Peter Richardson drums, Sion Glyn bass and Gruff ab Arwel organ and guitar. The unofficial fifth member is artist Llyr Pierce. It was only a matter of time before the band rota switched to us four, they say. The appeal of not having to write lyrics was too much to resist. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e REVIEW \u003cbr\u003e And the last time you heard a \"cold water\" surf-rock outfit from north Wales was…? Exactly. And that’s the USP behind this eponymous debut long-player from Y Niwl – the name translates as \"the fog\". Will it be sitting pretty on the stereo once the novelty of hearing these Dick Dale Del-toned licks coming from unexpected persons wanes? Probably not. But while the thrill lasts, it’s quite something.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAuthenticity is at the very forefront of the project, with the foursome keen to produce a record that not only echoed the works of Link Wray and The Shadows, but which could rub shoulders with them to a level where, if you knew no better, it could be considered a same-period piece. The track titles reflect the instrumental nature of the music – all of them are numbers (written in Welsh, naturally), and not in a sensibly sequential order either – and the production is kept basic. No flashy Pro Tools here – the 10 pieces were recorded straight to tape by British Sea Power engineer David Wrench. No overdubs at all; any reverb natural and, quite possibly on occasion, accidental. The sound’s spiky and uncluttered, breezy and bright; basslines bubble and percussion clicks playfully rather than thudding with modern technology-enhanced might. Organs squelch and wheeze, and guitar lines prance merrily.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd there’s really not a great deal more that needs stating for the critical record. As instrumental surf-rock affairs go, Y Niwl’s is excellently arranged, and endearingly authentic; it truly does sound like a lost relic rather than a release finding its way to shelves for the very first time in 2010. It’s a lot of fun, but like so many instant-fixes its longevity is questionable – there’s a very valid reason why you’ve never heard a band like this before, and that’s because there’s simply no demand for one. It’s got all the depth of a puddle in the midday sun. But Doubting Thomas sorts should, ideally, check their scepticism at the door, as for around half an hour this is very much the enjoyable experience. And when a track pops up on shuffle, it’ll brighten anyone’s day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e --Mike Diver\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31618019065953,"sku":"5055300318084","price":4.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/products\/orig_2296718_1199413_jpg.jpg?v=1706718546","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/5055300318084-y-niwl","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}