Hen Ogledd – DISCOMBOBULATED

Hen Ogledd—a collaboration between Rhodri Davies, Dawn Bothwell, Sally Pilkington, and Richard Dawson—take their name from the historic region known as the Old North. If you’re a little rusty when it comes to the geography of medieval Britain, this term essentially described the Brittonic-speaking kingdoms of Southern Scotland, the borders, and Northern England. Culturally and linguistically, the Old North has strong ties to Wales and the Welsh language, and its area and influence unite the four members of this Newcastle-based ensemble.

I am also from the Old North—the ancient Kingdom of Rheged in England’s north west—and perhaps this innate link explains my swift acclimatisation to DISCOMBOBULATED, an outsider record that likely will not appeal to all listeners, at least not immediately. Dawn Bothwell’s “bard rap”—the name she has given her Scottish-accented spoken-word style—on “Scales Will Fall” was a little jarring at first, but her anti-capitalist lyrics (“Kids rise up, tearing down thе corporate wall / Hands in the dirt, building futures for us all”) are suited to the style. Besides, the irresistible prog-folk chorus provides a stunning contrast, making it clear that Hen Ogledd follow their own path.

At times, DISCOMBOBULATED reminds me of the Beta Band, who also took folky progressions in exciting sonic directions, but Hen Ogledd’s prog-leanings and mystical elements also bring to mind fellow British outsiders like Robert Wyatt, who also found a home at Domino towards the end of his career.

Even the daunting “Clear Pools”—epic in every sense with a runtime of 19 minutes 49 seconds—is a sheer delight, packed with enough ideas and momentum shifts to justify its length, while identifying the quartet’s members as simultaneously generous collaborators and judicious self-editors. DISCOMBOBULATED is an idiosyncratic record, overflowing with eccentric charms and a uniquely British (in the best sense of the word) personality.

DISCOMBOBULATED is out now via Domino.