Iechyd Da

Iechyd Da is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones, released on 12 January 2024 through Domino Recording Company. It is his first album in five years, and received acclaim from critics.

Background
The album was produced by Ryder-Jones at his Yawn studio in West Kirby, England. Its title translates as "good health" in Welsh, while the title of the final track, "Nos Da", means "goodnight". Ryder-Jones stated that he has not been "this proud of a record since A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart" and called it his "most produced record".

Critical reception
Iechyd Da received a score of 90 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Mojo felt that the album "documents a period of intense anguish with careful understatement and smart musical references". Shaun Curran of Record Collector called it "a truly wonderful record, one that embellishes Ryder-Jones' writing in ways both grand and unusual, without sacrificing any of the closeness – his lyrics remain raw and direct – or melodic knack". The Guardian's Dave Simpson described it as "overwhelmingly lovely, with classy hooks and rousing choruses" and remarked that Ryder-Jones's "closely mic-ed voice is fragile, delicate, even on the edge of croaky, giving the impression he's sharing intimacies directly with the listener". Reviewing the album for Uncut, Laura Barton found it to contain "songs marked by a remarkable closeness, by the intimacy of place and people" in "a world filled with colloquialisms and gentle wit, where we were all on first-name terms and the geography sat in our marrow."

Track listing
All tracks are written by Bill Ryder-Jones, except where noted. All tracks are arranged by Bill Ryder-Jones.

Notes
 * "I Know That It's Like This (Baby)" samples "Baby", written by Caetano Veloso, as performed by Gal Costa.

Personnel

 * Bill Ryder-Jones – vocals, production, mixing
 * Amy Chalmers – violins
 * Ian Stephens – cello
 * Martin Smith – horns
 * Andy Frizell – flute
 * Phil Murphy – drums
 * Bidston Avenue School Choir
 * Guy Davie – mastering
 * James Ford – mixing
 * Felipe Chapman-Fromm – engineering
 * Liam Power – engineering
 * Nathaniel Cummings – engineering