Out of the wild hills of North Wales floats the wispy, ethereal strands of some long lost music. Torn between the frazzled Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights and the more rustic charms of a Welsh mythology, a contemporary edge has pervaded and sent us Casi Wyn.
It is easy to picture Casi flinging her arms aloft on some desolate mountain up in Snowdon but then that's purely because of the strong Kate Bush influence seeping through every pore of this EP. Not that this should be taken as a sign of some part time Florence. Not at all...what we have here is a precocious talent, a diamond in the rough. Casi Wyn may possibly be the most wondrous voice I have heard.
Superlatives aside, let the music speak for itself. What we have are five songs, four of which are sung in Welsh. Being Welsh myself, it is with shame that I don't understand the lyrics as I am one of those that don't actually speak the language. This is a moot point though as it is the emotion of the singing that brings the songs to life. These are songs from an old heart, songs of joy but mostly songs of sadness. A song of life may be a perfect way of describing them.
‘Canfod’ starts with what sounds like some really odd trilling but settles down into a sweet folk song which builds into a suitable climax. The Latino inflected ‘Tywyll Heno’ follows which reminds in parts of Madonna's La Isla Bonita although takes this concept and runs with it. Joyous and breathtaking, it is pure joy distilled.
Best are the two tracks that follow, ‘Gwythio’ and ‘Fan Hyn’. Both are dark and brooding and show how Florence and the Machine could sound if they stripped back all the histrionics and threw away their singer – ie. They haven't got a chance. Ms Bush would be proud of this music and you can't say fairer than that.
It is with slight dismay when Casi sings in English on ‘Winter’ then. Maybe it's because we have been swept along in flights of fancy making up worlds for ourselves. Either way, it is still a great song and shows a more dance orientated side to her music. Rave it up in the Welsh mountains, it’s just the way we like it.
Yes, this review may sound fawning but music like this does not come around that often. A sign of good music is when you play it on repeat and this EP has not left my ipod headphones for days. It is a magical, breathtaking voyage into territory which has been done before but seldom with as much panache as this. Stunning and mesmeric.
