If Phantom Power had just been released by almost any other band, it would deserve an A+ rating. Unfortunately for the Super Furry Animals, their catalog of dynamic, versatile pop music has set the bar a bit higher for all their future releases.
Of course, most of America couldn’t differentiate the Super Furry Animals from Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers, but that lack of overseas commercial success hasn’t stopped this Welsh band from producing some of the most critically praised albums of the past decade.
Pinpointing SFA’s sound on Phantom Power, or on any of their CD’s for that matter, is made especially difficult by the band’s mutli-genre approach and risk-taking tendencies. In 2000, their acclaimed album Mwng featured vocals entirely in the native Welsh language. 2001’s Rings Around the World was a lush, orchestrated power pop masterpiece. Never satisfied with doing the same thing twice, however, SFA enlisted the help of Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato, Jr. to give their sixth studio album, Phantom Power, a tougher punch.
“Golden Retriever,” the first single off the album, features a heavy, distorted guitar riff and the trademark, somewhat comedic vocal stylings of frontman Gruff Rhys. Rhys’ lyrics may not have made any sense to most people on Mwng, but his English lyrics are often nonsensical enough to be equally perplexing. “Stop, said the puppy / When I met him at the Zebra Cross / You’ll need protection / from every direction / But she’ll get you anyhow.” There is even a song on Phantom Power called “Venus ‘ Serena,” which is supposedly about the singer’s two pet turtles, not the famous tennis playing sisters. Needless to say, Rhys is an unusual fellow.
Phantom Power is not without its thoughtful moments, however. “Sex, War ‘ Robots” is a heartbreaking track in which the Furries try their hand at a little alt-country behind a sweet sounding pedal steel guitar. For contrast, “Out of Control” is a raging rock song, with Rhys claiming, “I am scum / You are scum” with plenty of gusto. Meanwhile, the album is book-ended by an optimistic pop song, “Hello Sunshine,” and a half techno, half orchestral finale about the destructive properties of rocks, called “Slow Life.” The end result is the usual fully rewarding SFA listening experience, though probably not their best yet
