The Welsh language was once considered as “vulnerable” by UNESCO World Heritage, but after incentives by the Welsh government and the use of apps like Duolingo, it is now the fastest growing language in the UK. As more Welsh people embrace their native tongue, the language’s resurgence is now being evolved for the modern age. This ancient Celtic language has been fully embraced by Cardiff based Breichiau Hir. They have broken the mould in the post-hardcore scene, as they stick to their roots, and so ending the long-established trend of emulating their American and English contemporaries. Breichiau Hir effortlessly blend a cathartic intensity with beautiful, dreamy melodies. The band’s highly anticipated debut album, Hir Oes I’r Cof (which translates as “Long Live Memory”), is a multi-faceted emotional journey, tackling the melancholy of nostalgia and the comfort of escapism, with poignant and personal lyrics performed proudly in the Welsh language.
Channelling a complex emotional cocktail of; frustration, concern, melancholy, isolation and the main theme of nostalgia, to say that Hir Oes I’r Cof is a poignant and soul stiffing album would be an understatement. The emotional intricacies contained within the lyrics is matched by the layers of haunting guitar melodies and melancholic atmospheres. Through Steffan Dafydd’s wonderfully crafted lyrics and passionate performance, you feel every one of the aforementioned emotions tenfold, as you relive the very human stories that go with them through your own eyes. Language is no barrier for intense human emotions, as Breichiau Hir make Welsh more accessible with their masterful storytelling within this modern setting.
The album has an interesting dynamic throughout, as if it is following the peaks and troughs of self-refection. From cathartic, high energy expression to the more sombre, melancholic moments that are often evocative of nostalgia. Hir Oes I’r Cof carries an underlying pain and grief for the loss of the kinder, happier, innocent and more often than not better days of yesterday, before the world forcibly pushed us into uncertainty and sorrow. This is something we can all relate to, and in its most basic form is still incredibly powerful. Breichiau Hir, have presented these concepts in such a special way that it speaks to your soul on multiple levels. This is reinforced by the magic of the Welsh language, to a non-native speaker Welsh is an incredibly expressive language that doesn’t do anything by half, you feel it all or not at all which is certainly the case here.
Opening up with the title track ‘Hir Oes I’r Cof’, you’re introduced to the album’s theme of nostalgia, the addictive nature of looking back at the past juggled with the infinite sadness associated with days gone by. The album is likened to a river, as it navigates its course through hillsides with a furious current at its mouth, echoes that of growing up and finding yourself. A tirade of intense, elaborate emotions cascade down your individual river, as you meet people along the way its course is altered and tangled with other peoples. This concept is amplified in ‘Ni’n Hapusach’, a song which emphasises the frustrations of an ever-changing environment. While ‘Glasoed Tragwyddol’ takes that concept but with more resentment and bitterness. ’07.04.17’ negotiates the trials and tribulations of long standing friendships in this changing world.
Breichiau Hir have left no stone unturned on Hir Oes I’r Cof, leaving us with a lot to unpack. We can all relate to these experiences to some extent, which is what makes this album an incredibly cathartic yet reflective listening experience. Ironically, an album that is very easy to escape into.