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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
When your side project is off garnering Mercury Music Prize nominations (Gruff Rhys’ 80s automotive concept act Neon Neon and the album Stainless Style) your day job is probably either beyond compare or in an awful lot of trouble. Happily, eclectic Welsh indie wizards the Super Furry Animals have recorded such a mass of just-below-the-radar but well-above-the-water-mark music, in so many garden varieties, and performed so many mind-bending, eye-boggling and ear-popping live shows since the mid-90s that the stature of their albums almost comes pre-guaranteed. The majority of them will have to be dead and buried before they’re in all that much trouble. Dark Days / Light Years is, accordingly, as good as you probably expect it is. Their main peaks remain clustered in the first half of their career, but this collection of songs straddles Fuzzy Logic for grit and Rings Around The World for composition and that is a heady, smooth and effective brew by anybody’s standards, and there’s no dawdling. "Crazy Naked Girls" is as glitzy as the title suggests, like TV On The Radio gone Welsh swamp-glam, and sounds both chest-beating and tongue-in-cheek, the goofy "Inaugural Trams" is like Kraftwerk on Blackpool promenade and features, believe it or not, a German rap interlude from Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy, while homage to their hometown "Cardiff In The Sun" is an expanding by the second 8-minute vocoder-aided psychedelic wonder pickled in thick harmony. Dark days? Perhaps so. Here, as ever, is your ray of light. --James Berry
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CD
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By S. C. JONES
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Looking at the reviews on Amazon of any of the Super Furries output, I'm struck by the fact that if you asked a hundred of their fans to list the nine SFA albums in order of preference, no one would list them in exactly the same order. More important, however, is the fact that the hundred fans would probably agree that there hasn't been a dud in that run of nine. Some are better than others, sure, but every single album contains moments of genius.
'Dark Days/Light Years', then. Well, it doesn't get off to a good start. 'Crazy Naked Girls' sounds like a jam that should never've been recorded, 'Mt.' is devoid of imagination and not worthy of SFA, and 'Moped Eyes' is sub-Hot Chip suburban disco nonsense. At this point during my first listen I was seriously thinking that the Furries had finally lost it.
Thankfully, starting with the fourth track, things seriously improve. 'Inaugural Trams' is a homage to Kraftwerk but the keyboards remind me of Pulp too. It's unlike anything SFA've done before and one of their best ever tracks. 'Inconvenience' is a magnificent stomp, 'Cardiff In The Sun' is a mad, rambling 8-minute epic, and 'The Very Best of Neil Diamond' has intriguing eastern (as in India and not Norwich) percussion. The album then loses its way briefly before the lovely harmonies in 'Where Do You Wanna Go?' / 'Lliwiau Llachar' and the slow build-up / Krautrock wig out / demented fade out of 'Pric'.
In short, 'Dark Days/Light Years' is brilliant in parts, occasionally awful, mostly great, and SFA are still bursting with ideas well into their second decade. Just don't ask me to rate it alongside all their other albums, you'll only disagree with me.
'Dark Days/Light Years', then. Well, it doesn't get off to a good start. 'Crazy Naked Girls' sounds like a jam that should never've been recorded, 'Mt.' is devoid of imagination and not worthy of SFA, and 'Moped Eyes' is sub-Hot Chip suburban disco nonsense. At this point during my first listen I was seriously thinking that the Furries had finally lost it.
Thankfully, starting with the fourth track, things seriously improve. 'Inaugural Trams' is a homage to Kraftwerk but the keyboards remind me of Pulp too. It's unlike anything SFA've done before and one of their best ever tracks. 'Inconvenience' is a magnificent stomp, 'Cardiff In The Sun' is a mad, rambling 8-minute epic, and 'The Very Best of Neil Diamond' has intriguing eastern (as in India and not Norwich) percussion. The album then loses its way briefly before the lovely harmonies in 'Where Do You Wanna Go?' / 'Lliwiau Llachar' and the slow build-up / Krautrock wig out / demented fade out of 'Pric'.
In short, 'Dark Days/Light Years' is brilliant in parts, occasionally awful, mostly great, and SFA are still bursting with ideas well into their second decade. Just don't ask me to rate it alongside all their other albums, you'll only disagree with me.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Mike Mantin
Format:Audio CD
After 2007's solid but unremarkable Hey Venus!, the individual Super Furry Animals clearly agreed with the critics: it was time for a break and an adventure. Since then, drummer Dafydd Ieuan pissed about with Rhys Ifans in The Peth, and singer Gruff Rhys teamed up with producer Boom Bip made an '80s synth-pop concept album about a millionnaire car designer as Neon Neon.
As you'd expect after all that, 'Dark Days/Light Nights' (the band's ninth album) sounds like a band who've rediscovered the playful, ambitious spirit which first set them apart from their Britpop peers. First single 'Inaugural Trams' is the album's highpoint of eccentricity, setting a bizarre narrative about opening a tram system to a bubblegum electro-pop melody, then throwing in a spoken-word German cameo from Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. The end result sounds like The Smurfs covering Kraftwerk.
There are other moments of brilliance scattered throughout the album: 'The Very Best Of Neil Diamond' matches the year's best song title to one of their catchiest, most enjoyable songs in ages, while the slow-burning 'Cardiff In The Sun' and the Krautrock-esque 'Pric' are hypnotic extended jams. The album does, however, occasionally trip itself up with its laid-back feel, especially on 'Mt' and 'Inconvenience' - two forgettable pop songs with lazy, repetitive lryics. Likewise, opener 'Crazy Naked Girls' is an indulgent freak-out which outstays its welcome by several minutes.
'Dark Days/Light Years' has a tendency to become unfocused, but it also brings their psychedelic experimentalism and sense of humour back to the foreground for the first time since 2001 masterwork Rings Around the World. And that's far preferable to playing it safe for a whole album.
As you'd expect after all that, 'Dark Days/Light Nights' (the band's ninth album) sounds like a band who've rediscovered the playful, ambitious spirit which first set them apart from their Britpop peers. First single 'Inaugural Trams' is the album's highpoint of eccentricity, setting a bizarre narrative about opening a tram system to a bubblegum electro-pop melody, then throwing in a spoken-word German cameo from Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. The end result sounds like The Smurfs covering Kraftwerk.
There are other moments of brilliance scattered throughout the album: 'The Very Best Of Neil Diamond' matches the year's best song title to one of their catchiest, most enjoyable songs in ages, while the slow-burning 'Cardiff In The Sun' and the Krautrock-esque 'Pric' are hypnotic extended jams. The album does, however, occasionally trip itself up with its laid-back feel, especially on 'Mt' and 'Inconvenience' - two forgettable pop songs with lazy, repetitive lryics. Likewise, opener 'Crazy Naked Girls' is an indulgent freak-out which outstays its welcome by several minutes.
'Dark Days/Light Years' has a tendency to become unfocused, but it also brings their psychedelic experimentalism and sense of humour back to the foreground for the first time since 2001 masterwork Rings Around the World. And that's far preferable to playing it safe for a whole album.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I initially felt the same as another reviewer in that after a couple of listens it hadn't quite gripped me. Then, with the sun shining and a cold beer in my hand, it all suddenly clicked into place. Summer arrived there and then. There are one or two weaker tracks at the end perhaps but generally I think the Furries have found their mojo again (the last album or two, for me, being slightly weaker).
When 'Cardiff in the Sun' flows into 'The Very Best of Neil Diamond' and that wonky eastern motif kicks in it's nigh on a perfect musical moment. This album brought to mind the song 'Smokin' off the Ice Hockey Hair EP - it's the sound of the Furries laid back, jazz cigarette in hand, and nodding along to a happy happy groove. I occasionally miss the psychelic pop of the first few records but that was 10 years ago and we've all grown up, SFA included.
There is no other band for me that, over the last ten years, has been so consistent while being so prolific and adventurous. I really feel lucky to have had the chance to follow this band since their early days but if you're new to them then this isn't a bad place to start at all.
So 4 stars from me as I can't give 4 1/2 - it ain't perfect but it's as close as I had hoped.
When 'Cardiff in the Sun' flows into 'The Very Best of Neil Diamond' and that wonky eastern motif kicks in it's nigh on a perfect musical moment. This album brought to mind the song 'Smokin' off the Ice Hockey Hair EP - it's the sound of the Furries laid back, jazz cigarette in hand, and nodding along to a happy happy groove. I occasionally miss the psychelic pop of the first few records but that was 10 years ago and we've all grown up, SFA included.
There is no other band for me that, over the last ten years, has been so consistent while being so prolific and adventurous. I really feel lucky to have had the chance to follow this band since their early days but if you're new to them then this isn't a bad place to start at all.
So 4 stars from me as I can't give 4 1/2 - it ain't perfect but it's as close as I had hoped.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
cd review
It was a present for my partner and he loved it! He has been asking me to buy it for a while, so was very pleased when he found it in his Christmas stocking!
Published 16 months ago by Ms. Samantha Coyle
2.0 out of 5 stars
meh
i love the sfa.but this album sounds lazy and rushed.it's lyrically hollow and really boring.i tryed to like it,but i hate it.it's rubbish.
Published on 21 Feb 2011 by gary james glennon
2.0 out of 5 stars
Their worst yet
I've tried to listen to this album twice. I think it's really weak. The songs are poor. I love bands that Jam such as the Grateful Dead and more recently Ryan Adams and The... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2009 by Mr. C. R. Homer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic SFA
After being a bit on the laid back side over the last few years, this is proper in your face, loud and noisy stuff. Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2009 by Mark Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Psychedalia
This has really grown on me-- a fabulous journey of an album, beginning with the truely heavy 'Crazy Naked Girls' (excellent guitar stuff)then on to some classicly melodic Furries... Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by Eargasm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bright and brave
Dark Days/Light Years
The Furries are back and that's excellent, I missed them. They never got to the point of being dull, but somewhat one could be forgiven being just... Read more
The Furries are back and that's excellent, I missed them. They never got to the point of being dull, but somewhat one could be forgiven being just... Read more
Published on 28 May 2009 by R. Le Mentec
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still come up with some crackers
A continuation of the form they recaptured on 'Hey Venus' after the, in my opinion, over experimantal 'Love Craft'. Read more
Published on 26 May 2009 by Coc y Gath
3.0 out of 5 stars
mmmm so so this one not as good as hey venus!
I've had this album for a month or so and it's not really growing on me maybe i need to listen to it more. Read more
Published on 25 May 2009 by P. W. Higgins
4.0 out of 5 stars
Partial Return to Form
Better and far more varied than the the two previous below par efforts. Shares their dull, lo-fi (by SFA standards) production values. Read more
Published on 15 May 2009 by Ogdread Weary
5.0 out of 5 stars
I like it!!
Was a present for my husbands birthday, he's a big super furrys fan and he states it was up to the usual standard. Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by Mrs. S. L. Griffiths
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