Melys may have been on an extended hiatus, but there’s no sign of ring rust on a rainy night in Swansea. After support slots from Maesteg punk-pop quartet Pseudo Cool and Pontypridd songwriter Y Dail – whose Teigr is a contender for Welsh album of the year – Melys emerge from the shadows and immediately throw a curveball.
Buwch Sanctaidd (Holy Cow) is dusted off from the flipside of their 2002 single So Good, much to the delight of the diehards dotted around The Bunkhouse. Hot on its heels comes one of their most uplifting choruses with Skating, quickly followed by an equally euphoric double-header of Eyeliner and Diwifr.
Forming in Betws-y-Coed circa 1996 and quickly finding popularity in Wales – I featured them in my book International Velvet: How Wales Conquered The ‘90s Charts, published earlier this year – Melys disappeared in 2005, following fourth album Life’s Too Short, to concentrate on raising families and running restaurants – yet returned in 2019 with two new songs, Stay and Llawenydd (the latter is given a welcome live airing tonight). Thankfully, Melys are back next year with an eagerly anticipated new record, and if its sunny single Santa Cruz is anything to go by, the group’s high standards haven’t slipped.
This is further proven with the slick delivery of another new track, 13 Secrets – a song premiered during lockdown in an online gig with this reviewer’s Welsh Music Podcast and dedicated to myself here (thanks Paul!). Bolstered by the addition of bassist Iwan Evans, formerly of Topper, the group have eased themselves back into the live circuit with support slots for The Wedding Present and a handful of recent Welsh dates. They’re coolness personified onstage, chatting with the crowd and joking about faulty equipment.
An obvious mid-set highlight is provided by their signature song Chinese Whispers (the winner of John Peel’s Festive Fifty in 2001), where Andrea Adams’ impeccable vocal still hits all those high notes. Surprisingly, only one selection apiece is made from Rumours & Curses and Casting Pearls, from 1998 and 2003 respectively, with nothing at all from 2000’s Kamikaze. With such a strong back catalogue, though, there’s room for deep cut gems like Stori Elen and a cult classic in Un Darllenwr Lwcus (One Lucky Reader).
As quick as they arrive, they’re gone again. With no relentless riffing or indulgent encores, Melys reel off a short, sharp set of a dozen tunes culminating with the brooding synths of Disco Pig. Always leave them wanting more.
Melys, Pseudo Cool + Y Dail, The Bunkhouse, Swansea, Sun 1 Dec
words NEIL COLLINS photos NEIL STOODLEY
