Super Furry Animals - Dark Days Light Years(split tracks + covers)

* 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