If Super Furry Animals' name was any indication of their music, they would probably be forced to occupy that vast musical wasteland known only as "children's music."
But on their seventh LP, "Love Kraft," Super Furry Animals (SFA) make music decidedly more mature than that. SFA synthesizes some of the best aspects of late-'60s and early-'70s pop and rock, while adding their own modern touch. From the opening sound effect of a diver splashing into a pool to the final piano outro, SFA show that they can still deliver pristine pop-rock.
To paraphrase Ron Burgundy, Super Furry Animals are kind of a big deal - in Britain, that is. Here in America, however, SFA are front-runners for the Robbie Williams Award for British superstars who fail to break into the American mainstream.
This is a shame, because there are probably many music fans who would like SFA but have not had the chance to hear them. Fans of classic and progressive rock alike, who have gotten sick of listening to the same records for the last thirty years, would find that SFA provides a new, modern twist to this style.
At their best, SFA recall a mix of late '60s Beach Boys and "Dark Side of The Moon"-era Pink Floyd; this band is not afraid to harmonize. After the boy band craze of several years ago, "harmonizing" is often equated with five guys in matching jumpsuits and generous amounts of hair gel singing an unbelievably cheesy song, most likely about their love for a girl or a promise they made to this aforementioned girl.
To be fair, the Super Furry Animals' harmonizing is not in the same category as these boy bands. SFA are closer to Brian Wilson and Big Star than the Backstreet Boys. Songs such as "The Horn" and "Cloudberries" are classic power-pop. They are soft-yet-catchy melodies that are definitely a soundtrack to the last warm nights of summer.
Another highlight of this album is its immaculate production. This record is amazingly clear - you can hear each instrument ring, resonate and reverberate (the three Rs they don't teach in elementary school).
Clocking in at almost seven minutes, "Zoom!," the album opener, has the Furries seemingly utilizing every instrument they could get their hands on. Opening with vintage keyboards that owe much to classic rock staples like Pink Floyd and Steely Dan, the song builds to a climax with an orchestra and chorus. In between, there's some pretty righteous guitar playing and drumming.
As many artists can tell you, production can only go so far. If a song is boring to start with, it's going to be boring no matter what studio tricks you try to play. That problem plagues the middle third of "Love Kraft." "Lazer Beam," the first single, seems to be an exercise in electronic experimentation recorded solely so SFA can say they are still cutting-edge. Why this was chosen as the first single over much more deserving songs like "Zoom!" or the ballad "Walk You Home" is questionable to say the least.
The instrumental "Oi Fango" has some promising hooks, but never gets off the ground. "Back on a Roll" is an unremarkable pop tune not unlike many of the songs populating Paul McCartney's solo career.
These less-than-stellar songs could be a sign that the band is running out of ideas. While creative and inspired on other parts of the record, they sound like they are idling on auto-pilot at times. They previously recorded six straight albums that were critically lauded and "Love Kraft" makes a seventh, but no band can go forever like this. Then again, every group has to record a few clunkers.
Though it's less than perfect, "Love Kraft" is a solid album. At the very least, it is good enough that SFA can put off recording their cash-in collaboration with Raffi or The Wiggles for at least a few more years.
