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Product Description
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The second solo album from Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, Candylion is a far more approachable pop proposition than his lone debut, 2005's Welsh-language Yr Atal Genhedlaeth. Recorded at Super Furry Animals producer Gorwel Owen's house in Anglesey with the help of double bass player Owen Evans and vocalist Lisa Jen from Welsh outfit 9 Bach, this is an outwardly upbeat set of mostly English language songs that explores Rhys' fascination for international psychedelia, the Welsh-language music of the '60s and '70s, and the madness of the modern world. The xylophone-accompanied title track is a deceptively slight opener that demonstrates Rhys' skill for nonsense word-play ("A penguin and carnation/A lemon and Dalmatian"). Further in, however, we find ourselves in more uncertain territory: "Lonesome Words" is a keening folk number undercut by skittering, looped drums, while the peculiar "Cycle Of Violence" offers a glimpse of apocalypse, Gruff noting "dirty bombs and clean ones look the same if you look closely" in a high, quavering tremor. Terror plays a big role in Candylion - the epic closing track, "Skylon", is set to the backdrop of an international hijacking – but it also contains some of Gruff's prettiest songs to date: see the country-tinged "Beacon In The Darkness" and the shimmering "Con Carino".--Louis Pattison
Review
Extra-curricular solo albums seem to be something of rare beast these days. Last year they were all it - Thom Yorke, Jarvis Cocker, Albert Hammond Jr, James Dean Bradfield. Then shaggy-haired Welsh singer Gruff Rhys decided to unleash his own little super furry animal in the New Year, in the form of Candylion.
Unlike his 2005 Welsh debut, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, which was little more than a series of throwaway demos, Rhys' successor is a much more loveable affair.
Recorded at SFA producer Gorwel Owen's cottage in Anglesey with the help of angelic 9 Bach vocalist, Lisa Jen, the frontman's second outing drags us through a myriad of nursery rhyme sing-a-longs, set up perfectly by the tinkling title track. From here, Rhys throws out each song like a sack of toys. Only some aren't as playful as they first appear. "Cycle Of Violence" for instance, may come on like a galloping lullaby but beneath the surface lies a lyrically darker demon who speaks of apocalyptic visions of terror, dirty bombs and, err... power stations. Similar themes are echoed in epic 14 minute closer "Skylon!" - an expansive airline narrative about a bomb disposal expert stuck on a plane with a TV actress he despises while a lone hijacker waits in the wings.
Set against a monotonous rhythm section, this intriguing tale may occupy a third of the album's intake, but each passing moment is about as compulsive as an episode of 24.
Further afield the acid fuelled "Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru (Driving Driving Driving)" one of Candylion's rare Welsh tracks, sits perfectly alongside Rhys' finger plucking bountiful ballad "Beacon In The Darkness"while the Celtic and cosmic blasts of "The Court Of King Arthur" and "Lonesome Words" sound like they've been plucked straight out of a Monty Python movie.
Extra-curricular albums may be a dying breed but Candylion is one beast that demands your attention. --Damian Jones
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
While I'm a huge SFA fan, I've had a sneeking sense of them losing their focus of their last album or two. Somehow they've become to sound less vital. With that in mind, this solo effort from Gruff has come as an unexpected delight. It's sweet and intricate with delicious arrangement from Sean O'Hagan. But most of all, it sounds fresh as a daisy and boasts some robust song writing from a man at the top of his game. If there were any justice, this record would sell by the shedload. As it is, at the very least you need to do the guy a favour and let this into your life. Hugely recommended.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ben Perkins
Format:Audio CD
I saw Gruff live in Hebden Bridge and found the show utterly amazing. I didn't realise until I saw him live but Candylion is a folk album. The support act was 9 Bach, and Lisa Jen from 9 Bach sings the female vocals on the album and sang onstage with Gruff for most of the night. Beautiful songs, amuzing and poetic lyrics and very skilful guitar playing. Every song is a hit. By the way the welsh song gyrru means 'driving'. The last song Skylion is an epic song with so much going on in the lyrics, every day i have a different favourite song, buy it!
By Jimi jac
Format:Audio CD
When this album was initially released back in 2006, I was not that overly impressed, but with Neon Neons new album on its way (2013), I always like to re-acquaint myself with the artists back-catalogue.
So listening back to "Canylion", it's turned into a great little record, full of tuneful surreal Indie/Folk/Rock songs.
You get the classic "Cycle of Violence" & the 14:36 minute epic "Skylon!" (Every album should finish with a 14-minute song).
So an outstanding record, & considerable stronger than the last couple of SFA's albums.
So listening back to "Canylion", it's turned into a great little record, full of tuneful surreal Indie/Folk/Rock songs.
You get the classic "Cycle of Violence" & the 14:36 minute epic "Skylon!" (Every album should finish with a 14-minute song).
So an outstanding record, & considerable stronger than the last couple of SFA's albums.
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
How to put right your bands mistakes on a solo album
This, Gruff Rhys's second solo album, contains much of what makes the Super Furries so great. Like many other reviewers on here I have been slightly disappointed with the last two... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2007 by JDB11
4.0 out of 5 stars
Is this the new SFA???
I just listened to "Hey Venus" by SFA and wrote a review of that album here on Amazon. Apparantly, many people did not like my review of "Hey Venus" for whatever reason, most... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2007 by Boris Vita, III
4.0 out of 5 stars
Candyloin review
Gruff Rhys front man for Super Furry Animals, has been a busy man, not only has he been working on a follow up to 2005's Love Kraft, he was also working on his second solo album... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2007 by Whipelsmacker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Successful second outing
I would recommend this CD to anyone, no matter what your taste. Every song is highly accessible, and a perfect introduction to music in the welsh language if you haven't come... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2007 by Mr. T. D. Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best Album Of 2007 Already
Fantastic, corking second solo album from Gruff. Great songs, sung in English, Welsh and Spanish, especially the 14-minute epic closer, Skylon! Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2006 by Ice Hockey Hair
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure genius
The world needs to wake up to Gruff Rhys and Super Furry Animals.
This album along with all their previous work is pure genius. Read more
This album along with all their previous work is pure genius. Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2006 by slipp
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