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Super Furry AnimalsLove Kraft Rough Trade/Shock Super Furry Animals are as intensely curious about music as they are in love with it. 'Love Kraft' will leave you gobsmacked. Ambitious beyond any recent record you care to name; its twin foundations are absurdity and pure, wide-eyed enthusiasm. The real beauty of the album is that the band has resisted the temptation to be weird simply for weirdness' sake. The best moments are the most unlikely, but there's a seamless flow to every song; some of which (somehow) sound effortless. The opening seven minutes is astounding. A meandering, cocktail lounge keyboard runs through Zoom!, an improbable but perfect offset to the vocal line. It breaks down into a choral passage and a brass section disappears almost before you've registered it was ever there. "I can't get enough of it / Kiss me with Apocalypse" they sing in the chorus, and each time it buries a little deeper into your soul. Atomik Lust is similarly inspired, initially settling into a piano-based, lush pop song before sky-reaching guitar breaks become more prevalent. Again, there's a languorous quality to the vocals as they're virtually draped over the music. The interstellar funk of Lazer Beam is another highlight. It may sound like three songs playing at the same time at first, but it doesn't take long to reveal its groove, and - like so much of 'Love Kraft' - lodge firmly in your head. It's also heartening to hear the Super Furries are not above being sticky-fingered music fans, as the beat to Psyclone! attests. In amongst the string whimsy they will, indeed, rock you. Some very clever acoustic-based songs form the glue that holds these great individual moments together. Back On A Roll and Ohio Heat are both fine songs that allow you to catch your breath. They may yet turn out to be the ultimate slow-burners as, despite the highlights on the record being glaringly obvious, they are an integral part of the experience - one not to be missed.  |
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