When you think of Welsh artists, chances are your mind will wander to Bonnie Tyler and Tom Jones. Connoisseurs will mention Manic Street Preachers, Feeder, Funeral For A Friend, Stereophonics, Catatonia and The Joy Formidable. However, even they would be missing the most important band to hail from Cymru: Super Furry Animals.
If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, this Welsh rock group was formed in Cardiff in 1993. Led by singer-guitarist Gruff Rhys (and featuring actor Rhys Ifans on lead vocals during an earlier incarnation of the band), the five-piece were at the forefront of what many referred to as the renaissance of Welsh culture in the 90s.
While Oasis and Blur were battling it out over the soul of Britpop, Super Furry Animals were letting the children bicker and went about doing their thing – a delirious mix of strange pop, psychedelic rock and experimental panache which couldn’t have been more in contrast to then-current music trends.
Over the course of nine studio albums, from 1996’s ‘Fuzzy Logic’ (following their debut EP ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllantysiliogogogochynygofod (In Space)’) to 2000’s ‘Mwng’ (their only album to have lyrics written entirely in the Welsh language) and their last album to date, 2009’s ‘Dark Days / Light Years’, SFA have shown that they are one of the most ambitious, imaginative and genre-bending indie bands out there.
In case you were wondering, ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllantysiliogogogochynygofod’ was an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for longest EP title. It reportedly translates to “naughty smoke” – a reference to cannabis.
This month, Super Furry Animals have released ‘Precreation Percolation’, a collection of rarities, B-sides and demos. We’d be lying to you if we said it was a good starting point if you’re not familiar with the band. It’s a lengthy beast of a record which will delight die-hard fans looking to explore the band’s formative years. However, it could alienate those seeking a way in.
With this in mind, here’s our lookback at the band’s innovative and oft underestimated oeuvre – a ranked Top 5 beginner’s guide to get you started.
Here we go – sorry, dyma ni’n mynd…
Rings Around The World (2001)
It’s worth saying that the first three albums in this ranking are pretty much interchangeable. However, tough decisions had to be made, and the top spot goes to ‘Rings Around The World’, SFA’s fifth studio album. Arguably their most polished offering, the LP is also the band at their most eclectic. It features prog-rock psychedelia, radio-friendly hits and the perfect combination of experimental production and immediately accessible melodies. There are too many good tracks to select as obvious standouts. From ‘(Drawing) Rings Around The World’, ‘It’s Not The End Of The World’ to ‘Juxtapozed With U’ and ‘Run! Christian, Run!’, this is a blast from start to finish. It’s also the best entry point in the Super Furry Animals’ discography, as well as an essential record for any fan of alternative rock.
Listen to: Tough one, but try ‘Juxtapozed With U’.
Fuzzy Logic (1996)
Another tricky call for the second spot, but there’s no use denying the gloriously quirky mission statement that is the Furries’ debut album, ‘Fuzzy Logic’. Plus, it turns 30 this year! Straight out of the gate, the band showed that they weren’t interested in established Britpop sounds, and they knew exactly what they were doing in terms of glam rock infused psychedelia. Standouts include ‘God! Show Me Magic’, the wonderful ‘If You Don’t Want Me To Destroy You’, the Beach Boys reminiscent ‘Bad Behaviour’, and their Top 20 hit ‘Something 4 The Weekend’. And in case you were curious about that album cover, it’s a series of polaroid shots of Welsh drug smuggler, folk hero and drug legislation campaigner Howard Marks. We obviously don’t advocate for the excessive use of the devil’s cabbage, but safe to say that this is a solid soundtrack for those kind of evenings.
Listen to: ‘Something 4 The Weekend’ and its swoon-worthy chorus.
Radiator (1997)
It really was a toss-up between ‘Radiator’ and ‘Fuzzy Logic’ in terms of ranking, as SFA’s second studio album is undeniably a more refined and creative offering. Still, you won’t find many debut albums boasting the confidence or fun of ‘Fuzzy Logic’, so we’ll stick with the third spot for ‘Radiator’. Showcasing surreal lyrics (“Dormant vices turned on their devices / Now she’s raising money for the sex appeal / And when she grazed her knee upon the astroturf / All her blood turned green as the TV screamed” on ‘Play It Cool’), pop gems (‘Demons’), great song titles (‘The International Language Of Screaming’), and fan favourites (‘Hermann ♥’s Pauline’), this is a masterful album which established SFA as The Flaming Lips’ EU counterpart.
Listen to: ‘Hermann ♥’s Pauline’. (He does. He really does.)
Phantom Power (2005)
Kicking off with the brilliant triple-tap of ‘Hello Sunshine’, ‘Liberty Belle’ and ‘Golden Retriever’ – arguably SFA’s strongest album opening – ‘Phantom Power’ is the great sister record to ‘Rings Around The World’. It also contains the band’s greatest closing song, ‘Slow Life’. So, what about the middle section? A selection of tuneful, mellow, at times transcendent songs which are the perfect antidote to dark times. So why so low on the list? Probably because ‘Phantom Power’, in many ways, feels like a Greatest Hits of sorts, combining elements from their previous five albums and polishing the merger. Nothing wrong with that, but it does lack a sense of surprise for those familiar with their work. Still, a cracking record.
Listen to: ‘Golden Retriever’ – an absolute gem.
Guerrilla (1999)
‘Guerrilla’ was something of a turning point for the Furries. Following their terrific ‘Ice Hockey Hair EP’, the band expanded their musical palette to include more electronic sensibilities. They experimented with a sampler and introduced more danceable – techno, even – sounds to their brand of psychedelic pop. The lead single ‘Northern Lites’ and its calypso horns and steel drums exemplify the positive sound of ‘Guerrilla’, while ‘Do Or Die’ is colourfully daft rock perfection in just two minutes. The album does feature a couple of fillers; but on the whole, it’s very underrated.
Listen to: ‘Northern Lites’ – you can’t beat those horns.
Super Furry Animals’ ‘Precreation Percolation’ is out now. The band is currently on tour across the UK until September. Fingers crossed they’ll head back in the studio soon.