The band Super Furry Animals (from Wales) is known for their urge to experiment and unpredictability. The penultimate album Rings Around The World (2001) was therefore praised for its accessibility and the fact that this was the first SFA record that you could fully listen to, but also criticized for being too little 'SFA'. The new CD Phantom Power (2003) sounds very different again. The experiment
… has remained, only now there is no flirtation with electronica and dance, but it is sixties psychedelica and westcoast pop that dominates, complete with pedal steel. The result is an extremely pleasant album, which, however, does need time to convince. Those who expect the same kind of album as Rings Around The World will probably be somewhat disappointed in waiting for a burst of guitars or electronic sounds. But those who let go of these expectations will hear beautiful, imaginative songs in which singer / lyricist Gruff Rhys describes the situation in the world in an extremely refined way. Phantom Power is above all a warm record and with songs like Sex, War & Robots, The Piccolo Snare, Venus & Serena and The Undefeated Rings Around The World is not only equaled, but also surpassed. (IV)more
