Mai

The Aberystwyth singer-songwriter released her debut, Week of Pines, back in 2013, and it won her the Welsh Music Prize and two BBC Radio 2 Folk award nominations. Fossil Scale followed three years later, and now in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown comes Mai, a refl ective, immersive, submersive set of songs exploring the natural world beyond the world of viruses – natural life cycles, seasonal cycles, the wellsprings of hope and love, the birth of a son and a return to her roots. The music is multilayered and lyrical, taking its place in a long line that extends back to the psychedelic folk-pop of Incredible String Band, and was recorded in her home town, at the Grade II-listed Joseph Parry Hall.

The title draws on imagery of the Calan Mai (May Day) and the music eight self-penned songs and three instrumentals, one a Satie tribute captures that feel of change, growth and fulfi lment. Her voice remains a gorgeous instrument, singing in Welsh and English, and set around her harp playing are the tones and textures of piano, guitars, synths, violins, cello, fl ute and pedal steel, arranged like new blooms in a May garden. By turns lyrical and lush, Mai marks a welcome return to the studio.