The fifth solo album by the former guitarist of The Coral, Bill Ryder-Jones is called “good health“, which means “good health” in Welsh, but is once again focused on a difficult time. If his previous work, “Yawn”revolved around the death of his brother, this “good health“ It is made under the shadow of a sentimental breakup, although it is proof that pain and anguish do not have to be the only responses to it.
It’s a classic breakup album but not a bitter and resentful one, but rather a vulnerable and tender one, best exemplified in some of the lyrics of “Christinha”: “Well Christina what’s the saddest thing? / Knowing you’re out there playing our games with him… But I keep the good times closer than the bad / Running your baths before American Dad!”. Behind the pain there can also be hope.
Ryder-Jones’ latest work makes peace with the darkness of the past and strives to find a happier, brighter place. “Good health“ It is an album of love and loss in which the most important thing is once again the brilliant compositions of the singer and producer, some of which have reached their highest moment on this album.
Furthermore, he has been able to accompany them with the most exquisite and careful production of his career, delicious, tenuous, intimate and, at the same time, grandiloquent arrangements, something like Nick Drake accompanied by the Mercury Rev of “Deserter’s Songs”. A glorious modern baroque pop album.
The magic and grandeur of the arrangements surround you as we peer into what is going through his mind, beginning with a sample of Caetano Veloso’s “Baby” sung by Gal Costa, which gives way to that beauty called “I Know That It’s Like This (Baby)” in which it sounds like the quietest moments of the Velvet del “Loaded”, although with surprising tempo changes.
“This Can’t Go On”, Another highlight begins with a string arrangement that seems straight out of classic Disco.Don`t Leave Me This way” by Thelma Houston, but with its chorus of voices it brings to mind the aforementionedo “Desserters’ Songs” by Mercury Rev. That instrumental bombast continues with “…And The Sea…”, an instrumental over which Michael Head recites parts of the “Ulises” by James Joyce.
“It’s Today Again” is once again surrounded by strings, children’s choirs and a message about that breakup that flies over the album “There is something great in life (Our stars have fallen, their sun fills your sky) There is something that is not quite right”. In “Christinha” Those rhythm changes that he used in the first song return, it’s admirable how he knows how to unite two parts that don’t seem to stick together, mainly with that little trick of making the chorus slower and more meaningful than the verses. Meanwhile in “Thankfully For Anthony” echoes of Mercury Rev return, reminiscent of their “Tonite It Shows”.
But the good thing about this album is not that it has three or four unforgettable songs, but that it doesn’t have any bad ones. I’m sure that after listening to different people, each of them could choose a different song as their favorite. The only drawback is that Ryder-Jones’ voice isn’t particularly brilliant, but it’s certainly not bad either.
Fans of the latest album by The Clientole or Michael Head (Ryder-Jones was the producer of the wonderful “Dear Scott”) you (we) are in luck, 2024 has already left an album to get lost in for all lovers of the best artisanal and classic pop.
Good Health de Bill Ryder-Jones