Tir a Golau
"Their delicate, close three-part harmony-singing is better than ever, and the instrumental accompaniment is sensitive and restrained. The Welsh traditional element is down to just one song (Ambell i Gân). The album consists mostly of the Rhys brother and sisters’ own material, plus a couple of Endaf Emlyn songs. The Welsh language lyrics are poetically allusive, and the Rhys sisters’ vocal delivery is nuanced, subtle and at times ethereal, as in the title track Tir A Golau.
This time around the Americana country influence, while still present, has been dialled down a notch from their first album, and Gwilym takes less of the vocal duties. Instead, the predominant influence is that of the early 1960s folk revival.
Byd O Wydr (World Of Glass) has vocal harmonies and light accompaniment on rhythm guitar that recall the acoustic pop music of the early 1960s. I am strongly reminded of Mary Hopkin’s first, Welsh-language recordings. In Dwynwen and Calon Wen the vocal and acoustic instrumental arrangements carry shades of The Seekers, or Peter, Paul & Mary or (again) Mary Hopkin. Gollwng Gafael (Letting Go) has a beautiful tune that is slightly reminiscent of Ewan Mac-Coll’s 1960s classic The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, and the acoustic accompaniment on guitar and fiddle is graceful and atmospheric. A delightful second album from Plu – I like it even more than their first."
FRoots 02/2016
"Tir A Golau more than lives up to its name in its delicate evocation of the endlessly changing beauty of the landscape of the trio’s North Wales home. Plu have created something very special with this understated gem of a record; it’s a compelling album from start to finish, which reaffirms their richly deserved place in the forefront of the vibrant and flourishing Welsh folk music scene."
Helen Gregory Folk Radio UK 06/06/2016
"Their trademarks are bright but ethereal three-part harmonies and a light, airy touch in their instrumental accompaniment. They’re influenced by modern alt-folk and Americana, but equally by sounds of the early 1960s, and you’re likely to be reminded of everything from early Byrds and Fairport Convention to Simon and Garfunkel to Mary Hopkin (in her Welsh-language days). ... My Welsh is very shaky, so I’m not really understanding the lyrics; instead, I’m carried away by the sweet groovy 60s folk sound. I do know that the one traditional song, “Ambell I Gân” is a song about singing and the inspiration it offers, a message that’s appropriate for this uplifting and transporting album."
Stephen Winnick, Huffington Post 08/2016
"In the album Tir A Golau, the sisters conjure ethereal and angelic harmonies which swoop and soar and which are absolutely gorgeous and so spot-on. Gwilym empathetically uses the banjo and the acoustic fingerstyle guitar to enhance and shape the lovely, unique essence which captures their beautiful home territory of Eryri to perfection. The delicately-chimed glockenspiel fills out the tracks; the cloud-like voices drift and float in a dreamy way, relaxing and soothing. The critics and the media say that Plu have a country-flavoured sixties sound, but my opinion is that Gwilym, Elan and Marged create an inspirational aura in the alt-folk field, something that has not been attempted before. They are really out on their own.
Aled Hughes of Cowbois Rhos Bottwnog engineers some expert production – bar ‘Arthur’, which was produced by Robin Llwyd Jones and which features Mari Morgan on fiddle – with Aled’s brother Dafydd on percussion and the Cowbois’ colleague Euron Jones on pedal steel guitar. The seven songs on the CD were written by Plu, except for ‘Dwynwen’ (written by Endaf Emlyn and Colin Keilloh), ‘Hedfan’, (Hovering, the work of Endaf Emlyn and Hywel Gwynfryn, recorded live at Y Llofft in the Tafarn Y Fic pub in the Llŷn village of Llithfaen) and the traditional ‘Ambell i Gân’ (An Occasional Song). Highlights include ‘Byd O Wydr’ (World of Glass) ‘Gollwng Gafael’ (Letting Go The Grasp), ‘Arthur’ and ‘Simsan’ (Unsteady). Plu have really elevated themselves into the top flight with this sparse, understated little jewel of an album."
Mick Tems, Folk Wales 08/2016
"Through the whole CD there are moments when the voices and the deft instrumentation create moments where you cannot help but be absorbed, enchanted and moved by the music. Listen, and Tir a Golau is full of allure."
From the Margins 03/2016
"Musically ... there are times there is the suggestion of the type of delicacy and lightness you find with The Unthanks, not least in the title track which leads off the set in a rustic and organic manner. Light instrumentation, tumbling guitar notes and an emphasis on atmosphere abound."
Bright Young Folk 03/2016
"Theirs is a really beguiling sound, wherein voices in tinglingly close harmony entwine within a gorgeous, delicate (appropriately "feather-light") and sensitive musical landscape. ... In the end Plu's hushed, ethereal, atmospheric music carries a degree of accomplished restraint and a very special, entirely bewitching musical character that - definitive pastoral, paisley and psych-folk resonances notwithstanding - is all their own."
FATEA 04/2016
"Mae 'Tir a Golau' yn dangos datblygiad naturiol i'r band yn dilyn yr albwm cyntaf... Yn gyffredinol mae 'na synau mwy cymleth iddo. Mae offerynau gwahanol, fel drymiau, gitar fas a ffidil, yn fwy amlwg, ond mae cryfder y band, gyda'r harmoniau swynol, yn parhau'n ganolog. Mae 'na hefyd deimlad mwy 'poppy' i'r albwm, sy'n dangos nad band gwerin yn unig ydy Plu yn enwedig ar ganeuon fel 'Byd o Wydr' ac 'Arthur', ond mae 'Ol dy droed' yn dangos eu bod yn dal i allu sgwennu caneuon sy'n gryf yn eu symlder moel"
Barn 11/2015
"Dyma albwm sy'n llwyddo i amsugno'r gynulleidfa i fyd breuddwydiol trwy'r cynhesrwydd a'r purdeb sy'n perthyn i gynnyrch Plu. Gyda'r dylanwad gwerin Americanaidd yn amlwg, cawn ein hatgoffa o waith bandiau megis Fleet Foxes a Bon Iver, a llwyddant i gyfuno eu caneuon gwreiddiol yn berffaith gyda'u haddasiadau o ganeuon traddodiadol. ... Heb os, mae manylder yn perthyn i'r casgliad. Mae'r alawon cofiadwy a'r geiriau graenus yn aros yn y cof yn syth, a'r adeiladwaith sy'n bodoli tu ol i bob trac yn creu naws hollol hudolus."
Y Selar 11/2015
“Plu’s third album (Eng. Land And Light) is a gentle, harmony-filled slice of indie folk, inspired by the ever-interesting landscape of the Gogs. Produced and released by Aled Hughes of Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, the Plu setup is a little simpler than that of contemporaries 9Bach, erring as it does on the ‘trad folk’ side rather than trying anything too audacious with their sound and songwriting. The mid-album brace of Gollwng Gafael} and Calon Wen are clear highlights.”
Buzz Magazine 12/2015
"Mae gan y sengl yma [Arthur] naws bron yn seicadelig sydd yn amhosib peidio ei hoffi... mae 'Arthur' yn sengl ddisglair sydd wir yn arwain y gad ochr yn ochr â Georgia Ruth, Kizzy Crawford a'r Gentle Good yn y twf newydd yma o werin gyffrous Cymraeg sy'n cael ei gynhyrchu ar hyn o bryd. Gyda harmonïau hudolus ynghyd â riffs gitâr ailadroddus ac unawdydd ffidl, mae'r trac 3 munud 50 eiliad yma drosodd o fewn chwinciad sydd wastad yn arwydd da."
Y Selar 06/2015
"One does wonder if growing up with your future musical compadres gives you a discernible advantage. I would wager that this was the case with North Walian sibling folk trio Plu. Their vocal harmonies are as polished and as characterful as their bewitching blend of Welsh folk and Americana giving definite credibility to the theory that talent can be blood bound."
Buzz Magazine, Dim Swn, Cardiff Fashion Quarter, 18/10/2014
"Mae 'na edrych ymlaen wedi bod am yr albwm yma [Plu], a dwi'm yn meddwl y bydd llawer yn cael eu siomi. Tarwch hi, caewch eich llygaid, a 'da chi ar strydoedd cul Llydaw gyda gwydraid o win gwyn oer yn eich llaw a gwres yr haf o'ch cwmpas. Os fasa'r albwm yma'n brofiad, dyna be fasa fo. Mae lleisiau'r triawd Rhys fel hufen ia, yn felfedaidd a blas mwy arno - y tri yn hyderus yn unigol ac yn gweithio'n hyfryd gyda'i gilydd."
Y Selar 08/2013