Dark Days/Light Years

Veteran Welsh psych-pop eccentrics Super Furry Animals have regularly pushed the margins of the post-alternative vanguard on eight studio albums that have confounded even the most fervent acolytes of musical experimentation. Willfully positioning themselves as outsiders with their Welsh-language lyrics and irreverent mash-up of styles, SFA's brand of schizoid neo-psychedelia enjoyed cult adoration but modest mainstream success. The group's ninth album, DARK DAYS/LIGHT YEARS, may fare better in the post-everything millennial pop reality. A departure from the lush, orchestral pop of their previous two albums, the album occupies a sonic universe located somewhere between lysergic yacht rock, glam rave-ups, and synth-fueled electronica. The Zep-like swagger of the opening track, "Crazy Naked Girls," sets the album's buoyant, electrified tone, with singer Gruff Rhys wailing away in a convincing Robert Plant-like manner over a wall of wah-guitar bombast. Elsewhere, "Moped Eyes" shows a bit more restraint, recalling smooth AOR/MOR harmonies without sounding overly kitschy or schmaltzy. Other tracks like the sweeping synth-fueled motorik of "Inaugural Trams" are practically an ode to the sleek Teutonic efficiency of bands like Neu! and Kraftwerk.