Photo credit: Kirsten McTernan
‘Limited Edition Heart’ is the second song to be released from Babelsberg, the fifth album by Gruff Rhys and his first record for Rough Trade since 2007’s classic Candylion. Gruff said “I wrote Limited Edition Heart whilst walking along a polluted yet beautiful river. It has beautiful orchestral arrangements thanks to Stephen McNeff and the BBC NOW orchestra.”
Listen to ‘Limited Edition Heart’ below:
Babelsberg’s ten tracks were initially recorded in early 2016 in a whirlwind three-day session, then hibernated for eighteen months, awaiting orchestral scores by Swansea born composer Stephen McNeff and the incredible work of the 72-piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
The result is Gruff’s best record to date – a ten song index of modern times, each track set to timeless, indelible melody. Over the course of Babelsberg’s songs, Gruff manages to perfectly document our troubled and troubling times with humour, grace and always addictive melody. The lyrics on it take on subjects such as the smoke and mirrors of division at the heart of major cities, the 21st century’s new forms of state sponsored murder, the numbing effect helplessness of the 24-hour news cycle and the rise and rise of the delusional male ego. To counterbalance Babelsberg’s lyrical themes, each of these ten tales of the fear-and-now is set against gorgeous, honeyed sound.
In a career that’s spanned three decades, two languages, multiple bands, offshoots, collaborations and one boundless imagination, Babelsberg is Gruff’s finest set of songs to date.
“Babelsberg is absolutely stuffed with some of his finest songs to date” Q 4*
“One of his most delightful albums… Prozac for these dark times” Shindig 4*
