Phantom Power

this isn't a band: it's an addiction. after i bought "rings around the world" and was swept up in the super melodic trippiness of this fine band, i had to see what they'd do elsewhere. so i bought everything i could get my hands on. this is one of the better records (they're ALL very worthwhile).do you like SPARKLEHORSE, THE BLACK WATCH, BLUR, NADA SURF, ELO (yes, them--or the move) and of course the beatles and beach boys (yes, the best bits of the beach boys--ie brian songs, harmonies)...this is at once adventurous and undeniably pleasant...what a FIND!!! they should be huge.buy this and trip out!!!

Phantom Power is the first and best (so far) Super Furry Animals CD I've bought. I heard "Slow Life" and immediately logged onto Amazon to buy the CD. I thought it might be a one hit sorta thing but the entire album is freakin' awesome! BUY THIS CD!

It's not "Rings Around the World", but a second and third listen reveals subtle pleasures that may sneak past you at first. Like the Wedding at Cana, the best was saved for last; the final track is as good as any the Furry felows have unleashed.

Phantom Power, the Furries sixth effort, is not as purely riveting as Fuzzy Logic or radiator, but it brings a new side of hte Furries to the table. This mature SFA has a new mission: to be masters of every musical genre. This mission sounds like what Beck might be doing, but the Super Furry Animals approach multi-genre-ing with a persistent, perfectionist appeal, trying to master each genre they tackle."Hello Sunshine" and "Bleed Forever" are piano-based pop tunes, sounding Beatlesque and pre-psychadelia, like a concise Elton John tune."Liberty Belle" and "The Undefeated" are Beach Boys Pet-Sounds-era good-vibe songs, with catchy backing harmonies in the choruses and many instruments that give the feel of tropicalia in the songs."Golden Retriever" is a bluesy Zepplinesque song that masters stroy-telling bluesmen."Sex, War and Robots" is a country ballad that goes slower than molasses but electrifies with its beauty."The Piccolo Snare" and "Cityscrape Skybaby" are anticlimactic songs in the style of Radiohead's "Exit Music for a Film"-they use many verses and as the music gets louder and faster they hit an uplifting chorus to end the song. Purely cinematic."Venus and Serena" is the closest to the Fuzzy Logic era Furries genre-straight ahead psychadelia alternative pop/punk. The song uses fuzzy guitars to lead to a harmonic psychadelic chorus."Father Father #1" and #2" are great instrumentals, a genre that the furries have played with throughout their careers."Out of Control" is straight on hard rock with a Doors-like blues edge to it."Valet Parking" could also be called Pet Sounds era, but it is more the Mamas and the Papas; it uses an acoustic-tinged riff with ba-ba-bas from the Furries to play under a harmonic tale of a care trip across Europe.Finally, "Slow life" is the Furries own genre; lengthy, epic keyboard, techno jam. Don't miss this album for the world.

The Furries scale back the orchestral overhaul of their last effort for a more simplistic and natural sound on Phantom Power. But the effort occasionally suffers from snippets of glumness and slurring noise in the vocals. Maybe it's the Vedder disease, but considering how beautifully melodic a lot of these songs are, Gruff Rhys' energy seems exhausted, like he's going through the motions."Hello Sunshine" is sprightly, but sounds too pleading from the singing. "Golden Retriever" is a fine single and very catchy, but Rhys is simply marble-mouthed. Those sorts of vocals served them in the past (witness "Shoot Doris Day"), but not when they seem to be leaning more to New Pornographers than Beck/Blur. Luckily, they manage more than enough good moments to almost make up for it. "Slow Life" is a striking epic closer, "Out of Control" pulses with the energy lacking elsewhere, and "Piccolo Snare," while a bit lyrically obvious, contains joyous highs that are otherwise in short supply. But after the high of Rings (and knowing they'd stumble even deeper on Love Kraft) this is a band on the fast decline struggling to remain afloat.Best cuts: "Slow Life," "Out of Control," "Golden Retriever," "The Piccolo Snare," "Valet Parking," "Liberty Belle," "Venus and Serena"

The Furries 6th album is easily there most attainable and cohesive record yet, but they haven't lost one detail that made them one of the most brilliantly quirky acts in music today.Phantom Power has a slower and darker tone than recent releases like Rings Around the World and Guerilla, but the playful lyrics and superb melodies keep it from any hint of moodiness. Songs like Hello Sunshine and Liberty Belle have their signature sound complete with the odd lyrics and keyboard tinkering. Other tunes like Out Of Control and Golden Retriever, really take on a stomping 70's era rock thing and become instantly, "Glam-tastic." My favorite moments on Phantom Power, come when the melody and the group's wonderful vocals kick in and change pace like a banshee. Songs like The Picolo Snare and Venus and Serena do this as well as it has be done. Overall - it's still way too early to tell where this will fall on my favorite SFA albums, but with Phantom Power, they have only improved their position as one of rocks' best bands.

I've long been a fan of SFA but i did go off them for a while after hearing Guerilla and rings around the world, mainly because i thought their albums were becoming too patchy. However, i went back to them after buying Love Kraft on a whim which is great. So i then bought this album which is even better. Wgere SFA have been inconsistent in the past, this album is pretty much great from start to finish. I think SFA are best when they are doing laid back almost soulful stuff which is in plentiful supply on this album. You can hear touches of Al Green on some tracks! I love them for being different but after a while that becomes the same?? This album really shows off their songwriting genius whilst still managing not to sound like everybody else. Unfortunatley, the finger slips off the quality control button a bit with Hey Venus and goes out the window altogether on the terrible new album dark days light years which is just awful but hopefully one day they will repeat the quality on Phantom Power which is simply an amazing album and possibly their best-get it!

Love this album, one of my all time top 10.

Lots of top tunes & a thankful lack of self-indulgent instrumentals.

Si les qualités musicales des chansons sont indéniables, on ne peut pas en dire autant des clips les accompagnant.A part une courte présentation animée en flash bien sympa, on a droit à de vulgaires kaléidoscopes moches et répétitifs.Niveau son, n'ayant pas d'équipement adéquat, je n'ai pas pu profiter du 5.1 qui est au dire de certains, fabuleux.Un achat pour les fans, les autres se contenteront du CD audio.

壮大な歴史的名盤だった前作と比べると肩の力が抜けた感じの極上ポップアルバム。夢から醒めて、優しい朝日を浴びるようなオープニングが心地よい。毎度の事ながら彼らのメロディセンスは素晴らしいので、ロックもサイケもジャンル関係なく良曲目白押しです。