Super Furry Animals have always been something of an acquired taste. Their peculiar brand of swirling, soft psychedelia has won them a steadfast hoard of vehemently adoring fans, but their long winded and experimental nature have been known to be off-putting. Nothing new here then, on the ninth studio album from Gruff Rhys and his super furry cohorts, apart from their claim that they've "left off the acoustic ballads for the time being."
Characteristic furry harmonies are suitably on the ball, and the Welshmen are easily as creative as ever. The variation in approach on different tracks is quite intriguing, though it's all tied together by the same lackadaisical, spacey tone that's initially absorbing, but can grow wearisome. Combining traditional Indian instruments, dance rhythms, synth and electric guitar with the subject matter of The Very Best of Neil Diamond is wonderfully unconventional, and makes for one of the albums highlights, along with a German spoken word interlude by Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy on single Inaugural Trams.
It's a shame that the catchiest hook on offer here, provided by MT along with tuneful responding strings, is accompanied by lyrics that, metaphorical or not, are cringe-worthy ("it was a big f**king mountain, so I climbed the mountain" etc). The ultimate super furry blunder though, is their tendency to ramble. Contrary to popular opinion, you can have too much of a good thing, and eight minutes of Cardiff in The Sun's plonking ambient electronica, creaking electric guitar and endless "sha la la"s is definitely too much.
