Super Furry Animals – Phantom Power – Review

Super Furry Animals

Phantom Power (XL)
by Tim Den

Welsh (not English, as the band will make sure you know) psychedelic popsters Super Furry Animals get less dancy and a whole lot more cartoony on Phantom Power. I mean, just look at the artwork! Ren & Stimpy-styled characters litter the inlay, much in accordance with the slippery elastic imagery of the music. Think Left Banke, Mojave 3, Nas, and Jon Brion on mushrooms: Yes, it’s that solidly, unapologetically poppy, but also skewed in just the right sonic directions for a bit o’ zing.

Having already proven to the world their ability to reinvent themselves (including a very electronic album entirely in Welsh), Super Furry Animals know their nitty gritty on Phantom Power. A hook is still a hook, even if it’s bent a little funny.
(www.superfurry.com)