Al Lewis
Te yn y Grug/Tea in the Heather
(Self-released)
★★★

I’VE never come across any of Al Lewis’s work before but I’m pleased to report that the new concept album from this acclaimed Welsh singer-songwriter supplies eloquent evidence of the underlying truth behind the old adage that music really is a universal language.

The lyrical content of Tea in the Heather will presumably be incomprehensible to the vast majority of listeners, but this collection of songs, inspired by the writing of iconic Welsh-language author Dr Kate Roberts, is nevertheless utterly compelling.

A series of short stories, they chronicle the lives of three young girls growing up in north-west Wales a century ago, and the evocative songs and spoken-word passages combine to sublime effect.