I bought this CD because I heard it playing in a shop in Carrnarfon last summer as a brand new release. I took an instant like to it and bought a copy that was sitting next to the till.
It's the first album I've ever bought recorded entirely in Cymraeg. I've chosen it as my album of the month this month because I've been listening to it while revising for my arholiad Lefel Sylfaen (Foundation level exam), which I'm taking on Friday.
This is the band's third album, released after they dropped from being a four piece to a trio. 'Bwncath' is the Cymraeg word for 'buzzard' and the album art is of three stylised buzzards reminiscent of Celtic art.
There are 10 tracks on the album and they are all pretty short. The band have a folk-rock sound, lots of harmonies, played at a tempo towards the rockier end of the scale. They bring in a children's choir for one song but the kids sound like they're having fun and the end result is joyfully raucous.
I really like the opening track 'Dy feddwl' (which I think means 'you think', could be 'your mind'). But my favourite track is 'Prydwen', which I believe is a reference to King Arthur's ship in the Welsh legendarium. The song has an echoed refrain 'Ddown yn ol, ddown yn ol, ddown yn ol at y gwir' ('we come back... in truth') befire kicking into an uplifting chorus.
Overall, it's a great album and accessible even with limited (or no) Cymraeg - Cathy doesn't speak Cymraeg and she says she likes it. (Which is just as well as she's been in the room while I've been revising!)
Details
Year of release: 2025
Tracks: 10
Favourite track: Prydwen
Track to skip: this is a very lean album, with short tracks that make their point with a minimum of fuss, so no need to skip any tracks.
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