Whether it be donning Power Ranger costumes on stage or christening their debut album after a 58-lettered Welsh village, the Super Furry Animals have earned a status for crafting psychedelic rock, whilst never seeming anxious of coming across a bit daft at the same time. They have their niche and they seem happy sticking to it. Why should they modify? On their ninth album in thirteen years their formula remains fresh, and whilst it’s unlikely to earn them any new fans, it will certainly keep old faithfuls happy.
In keeping with their back catalogue Dark Days/Light Years feels like it was concocted in a cauldron rather than in a recording studio. Opener Crazy Naked Girls sets the album off on a dawdling start with six minutes of the same three words repeated to the same three notes. Crazy Naked Girls. Crazy Naked Girls. Crazy Naked Girls. However, as soon as next track Mountain pops on all is exonerated, as they revert into the happy-sleepy compositions they do best. Inaugural Trams is the highlight track and while it does still suffer from repetition, Franz Ferdinand’s Nick McCarthy offers a delightfully camp German monologue as a bridge that saves the day. The Very Best of Neil Diamond and Lliwiau Llachar both offer bizarre gratification and don’t extend their welcome but too many of the songs believe they are bigger then they are. Does Cardiff in the Sun really need to be eight minutes long? This irritating need for non-epical epics stains the album’s stream and listening becomes a needless chore. A pity, as a less indulgent approach to production would have lead to the Super Furry Animals most electrifying body of work to date.
