CYRK II by Cate Le Bon (EP)

The older sister of Cate Le Bon’s acclaimed ‘CYRK’ squirrels its way into listeners’ heads with unflinching, yet serene, honesty

It knowingly portrays the hurt wisdom of nature and her life so far, with the now familiar and melancholy lilting of the young Welsh songstress. Not immediately and fully understood, CYRK II is a rough and raw cluster of truly organic sounds. It evokes the depths and heights of the rolling Welsh countryside and is accompanied by what sounds like the tinkling of bells at a village shop door and makeshift drums.

With the precise enunciation of The Incredible String Band and a hint of the deep vocal tones of Marianne Faithful, Cate Le Bon unflinchingly shares confessions with serene honesty. Such candour is evident in lines like “They come to my room to tell me I am so cruel, cos I have no plans to settle down”. She also uses her lyrics to describe the reliably harsh beauty of the misty sea in Eiggy Sea, while her voice ebbs and flows like the waves.

Much like an aggravating older sister’s words may resonate round and round in your head, Le Bon’s beautiful accent and simple melodies have a very clever way of squirreling themselves into one’s mind.

Cate Le Bon’s CYRK II will be followed by an eagerly anticipated headline North American tour in September.

Verdict: Fans of CYRK will not be disappointed with its older sibling

Chloe Staines

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