Super Furry Animals

For music lovers around the globe, the announcement of a new Super Furry Animals album after a two year hiatus is reason enough to celebrate.  That the album is their finest, most cohesive to date is simply the icing on the cake. Super Furry Animals, now in their 11th year of artfully beguiling recordings, have remained one of the most consistently creative, endlessly intriguing, boundlessly inventive and most fiercely loved bands on the planet. And that’s a fact.

Hey Venus, their 8th studio album, is the latest addition to their canon of abundant accomplishments. Described by the band as “a collection of 12 autonomous songs ranging in styles from country and contemporary rock music to orchestral psychedelic pop” Hey Venus is far more than the sum of its parts. A gloriously intricate album jam-packed with the sorts of sunny melodies and melancholy arrangements that make every SFA release a symphonic and smart slice of songcraft, this record is even more of a rewarding sonic experience. Lyrically the band are at their finest; from the opening bars of “The Gateway Song” to the closing slo-mo honky-tonk tinged “Let The Wolves Howl At The Moon”, singer Gruff Rhys rolls out tales of heartache, disillusionment, compulsive consumerism, wolves, eight balls and the Milkyway with delicious ease. Heartbreaker “Run-Away” is introduced with a gentle declaration “This song is based on a true story, which would be fine if it wasn’t autobiographical” before continuing to recall that “We may have fought with teeth and nails: I still recall your banking details.”
Fans of the Furries at their most foot-stomping and rousing will recognize “Neo Consumer” with its shimmering tambourines, wall of sound backing vocals and chanting chorus as classic Furries, reminiscent of their early singles, while “Battersey Odyssey” is steeped in the psychedelic sounds and poetical word play that make the Super Furry Animals songwriting so distinctive. Their renowned playfulness is still intact as “Baby Ate My Eight Ball” proves (sample lyric: “Sorry to cut your life so short/mental note to self:/Keep in safe place away from harm”) while they retain their soulful side with “The Gift That Keeps Giving,”  replete with a Smokey-esque vocal, Motown swing and a perfectly placed lonely trumpet solo. But in amongst all this pop perfection lies the album’s most arresting moment: “Suckers!” - with its heartfelt “Tell me you’re a phoenix rising far above” refrain - is nothing short of a masterpiece. While SFA may not write ballads, they most certainly write delicately beautiful anthems and we’re willing to bet that “Suckers!” will be rolling around inside your brain uncontrollably for the next few months.
Hey Venus was recorded at Miraval Studios in France and Rockfield Studios in Wales by David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene) and mixed by SFA and Chris Shaw (who was at the helm of their brilliant Rings Around The World album).  The band enlisted a team of string players to fulfill their symphonic vision, with arrangements by Sean O’Hagan (The High Lamas).
Sensibly, for something as unique and special as Hey Venus, the album has two release dates: first available to the very modern and the very old fashioned (ie: digitally and on vinyl) on August 28th 2007, the CD won’t hit stores until January 22nd, 2008 to coincide with the band’s US tour.  The CD release also features bonus material. The specially commissioned CD and vinyl artwork were done by cult Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami, who was given free reign to create the impressive cartoons which grace the sleeve.

Super Furry Animals are:

Huw Bunford – Guitar/Vocals
Cian Ciaran – Keyboards/Effects/Vocals
Dafydd Ieuan – Drums/Vocals
Guto Price - Bass
Gruff Rhys – Vocals/Guitar