* Alternative giants Super Furry Animals make
a welcome return with their ninth studio album,
Dark Days / Light Years. Returning to the
psychedelic rock vibes of their early work, the
Welsh experimental unit merge monolithic riffs
with spluttering beats to take us on a gloriously
twisted journey into their mischievous technicolor
minds.
The fact that they have been keeping
themselves busy with various side projects,
including Dafydd Leuan and Guto Pryce's acclaimed
work with The Peth, and Gruff Rhys' Mercury
nominated Neon Neon, has meant that Super Furry
Animals haven't released an album since 2007's Hey
Venus! Dark Days / Light Years though has finally
landed and, with many tracks originally surfacing
during the Hey Venus! sessions, stands to be a
natural continuation. The album begins in true
psychedelic form with 'Crazy Naked Girls'.
Combining electronic twangs with flagrant dark
humour, the track is a vast and pounding
introduction to this speaker-blowing record.
Immediately there is a notable inclusion of
techniques from previous releases. As the short,
sharp rock numbers 'Inconvenience' and 'Mountain'
sparkle with the same glam-pop edge of their
catchy top 20 single 'Golden Retriever', the
iridescent 'Prijk', with its watertight bassline
and tantalising techno beats, impacts with the
catchiness of the renowned hit '(Drawing) Rings
Around The World'. When the tempo drops, the album
shines with some tender moments. With a circular
guitar motif and dreamy vocals, 'Cardiff In The
Sun' tantalises with romanticism and creates a
surrounding soundscape that is alluringly epic and
wonderfully beautiful. Whilst the cleverly
executed 'White Socks / Flip Flops' shows that the
band are capable of delivering beguiling
power-pop, the Kraftwerk homage 'Inaugural Trams'
(which features guest vocals from Franz
Ferdinand's Nick McCarthy) hits with a sinister
electro vibe. Such a hugely unconventional piece
would seem out of place on any other album, but
with the breathtaking eclecticism of the band and
their songs, it is merely another great track on a
wonderfully enchanting Super Furry Animals'
record.
When a band reaches their ninth album, the
temptation is always going to be there to live off
previous successes and deliver a safe and
unchallenging record. Luckily, Super Furry Animals
are no ordinary band, and Dark Days / Light Years
has proven to be no ordinary record. Benefiting
from a desire to challenge musical convention, the
prog-rock eccentrics have presented an exciting
and intoxicating album that is one of their finest
to date.
Track List
1. Crazy Naked Girls
2. Mt
3. Moped Eyes
4. Inaugural Trams
5. Inconvenience
6. Cardiff In The Sun
7. The Very Best Of Neil Diamond
8. Helium Hearts
9. White Socks / Flip Flops
10. Where Do You Wanna Go?
11. Lliwiau Llachar
12. Prijk
