I once had a boyfriend whose first language was Welsh. I would go over to his parent's house and have tea and scones and his family would often forget I didn't speak the language and slip into chattering amongst themselves. I didn't mind. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and hear people talk and be totally unable to contribute. A break from communication can be lovely. The Welsh are fiercely patriotic people and the number of citizens who speak it is certainly dwindling, which is a shame. It's strange and mellifluous, and definitely sounds like some kind of elf dialect.All of which is a long-winded way to bring us to Casi, a singer who only spoke Welsh for the first ten years of her life. Apparently when she was a kid she also wrote and recorded an a capella concept album based on the lives of her Barbie dolls. That's all we need to know to certify her awesome.Below is the premiere of "Lion"—her debut song, part of a double A-side coming out on UK tastemaker label Chess Club Records (who released early tracks from Jungle, Wolf Alice, MØ). It's quite Florence and the Machine, if Florence was marooned in Iceland—a nimble, airy kind of siren pop."It's important to exchange untold stories—that's the only way in which we can improve our understanding of otherness," she explains. "'Lion' tells the story of a Prince who's aim was to liberate his community—it's a song for anyone with a dream.”Casi, keep turning your daydreams into gold please, thanks.
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"Lion / Golden Age Thinking" is out on Chess Club Records on 7.27.