Those wacky Welsh rhymesters Swansea Sound are back to spread holiday cheer with their traditional-styled carol "Santa, Bail Me out," plus two more holiday(ish) tunes. It's all presented as a special CD-inside-a-holiday-card release by Skep Wax Records. One may PRE-ORDER the "Santa, Bail Me out" CD/greeting card from their Bandcamp site.
As you are prob aware, Swansea Sound is the reincarnation of pre-fabricated '90s underground pop sensation Pooh Sticks, featuring the unique vocal stylings of Amelia Fletcher and Hue Williams. Rounding out the line-up are Rob Pursey (electric bass guitar; Rob also plays with Amelia in Catenary Wires), Catrin Saran James (vocal and artwork), Ian Button (drums), Bob Collins (guitar). It's like a rock'n'roll band, except they have a sense of humor.
"Santa Bail Me Out", is an upbeat, headlong, high tempo, singalong tune, celebrating the joys of the festive season when you’re up to your ears in debt. The other two songs on the CD/greeting card are "Nadolilg, Pwy A Wyr?" and "The Life We Led," two different versions of the same song. The first is sung in Welsh by Catrin Saran James, the second in English by Hue Williams and Amelia Fletcher. A catchy, emotional pop song, "The Life We Led/ Nadolilg, Pwy A Wyr?" contains fond memories of Christmases past, and strives to uncover the magic and the meaning - to hang on to something significant in an anonymous digitized world.
But wait - - - There's even more good news from the Swansea Sounders as they may be playing a few shows here in the United States of America next June, following similarly timed appearances by the reconstituted Heavenly. Will there be any shows featuring both combos? That would be deluxe.
Until then, PRE-ORDER your copy of the Swansea Sound holiday greeting card, "Santa, Bail Me out!"
(Ho Ho Ho)
Above: Swansea Sound, in their traditional yuletide attire.