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Super
Furry Animals
Phantom Power
(Epic
/ Sony UK)
It’s strange how as the years of our existence wane, we
often discover that some of the brash behaviors we may have
once been involved with seem merely uninteresting. Speaking
on a smaller scale, a recent excursion to the beach resulted
not in hours of sun baked attempts at “catching waves”
or immersion in sand front activities (often referred to as
“getting drunk on the beach”) but rather in the
most mundane of manners – things like soaking in the rays
and, gasp, reading! As humorous as it may seem to you, a 22-year-old-going-on-44
is not as alarming as it would appear. The energy it takes to
rip through beer bongs has transferred itself into the need
to comprehend works written by strange Welsh musicians and the
desire to destroy the inklings of hope in a fraternity pledge
has been replaced by the desire to control spoiled 13-year-olds
into learning the basic idea of past and present tense. Alas,
this boy is getting old and sometimes keeping up with the meandering
vigor is as futile as an attempt to comprehend the words that
slur out of a mid-speech Bob Dylan.
Similarly, as our musical tastes grow old, our interests often
veer towards places of warmth and comfort (or those that do
not induce nausea); it’s a seemingly natural process –
like a once proud beast whose ability to run and hunt has severely
declined over the years; it just lazes around in the afternoon
glow of the African plain. And for someone who has spent days
in post-ruckus recovery and weeks shivering in similar boots
to one Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence, the
wonderment of delight to the warm, soothing sound of the opening
bars of “Hello Sunshine” is endless welcome. Be
it the smooth coastal melodies, the slow simmering slide guitar
and tender percussions; it is a fine open-armed calling to brief
Fab Four parallels and Pacific Coast drives. In “Liberty
Belle”, Rhys and company adapt a slightly more upbeat
tone, but one that seeks its poise in its global traveling grace;
brilliantly spirited and soaring so, it treads on Roger McGuinn-esque
60’s folky rock. This sort of unconditional fuzzy feeling
is a dominant texture throughout Phantom Power (only
on a few instances do they tap less organic means – most
evident in the glitchy “Slow Life”); sprinkled so
well that the Super Furry Animals belong in the same group as
The Beatles, The Beach Boys and of course, The Byrds.
Yet, in an unexpected twist, SFA adapt a far gloomier lyrical
ménage on several occasions; “Liberty Belle”
is musically suited for sweet romance – but instead prod
at the political mess (or as labeled here, the “gulf of
misery”) of superpower countries flexing their bravado.
The instrumental chant-like “Golden Retriever” is
a jangly piece filled with darker tendencies; “You’ll
need protection / from every direction / but she’ll get
you any how”, while the hushed hum stalking “The
Piccolo Snare” is smeared by biting descriptions of cannon
fodder bleeding (“Have you ever seen the sea / painted
red by a bleeding army?”) and lost hope (“Of pawns
who will never find peace / tumbledown to the piccolo snare”).
Thoughts of despair that ring once again in the musically quaint
and mellow “Bleed Forever”: “There’s
no console / it’s no game / we were going places / it’s
such a shame”. This bipolar union of musical serenity
and (mostly) caustic diatribe is the sort of searing combination
that separates SFA’s latest, mostly snug musical outing
from just simply being lukewarm.
Greener pastures it seems, has found its place in their hearts
– and perhaps a trip to Wales might see the same plateaus,
landscapes and valleys that is synonymous with the Golden State
and the mid and old west. Welcoming, warm, and richly textured
– this, their sixth full length disc is the soothing accompaniment
to those wildly descriptive and potent stories old Uncle Abe
told you of his time in America’s badlands (as interpreted
by way of Cardiff, Wales). And for someone who seeks a more
personal inquisition, this is the best way to melt away a burning
day; for those who are seeking restitution for the torrent of
crimson and desolation, Phantom Power is the perfect
soundtrack to the looming apocalypse that may plague your soul.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana
October 3rd, 2003 |
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