Hey Venus! (Rough Trade)

This year's release of Candylion, the excellent solo record by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, gave long-time SFA fans pause for concern. Given that members of the Welsh psych-pop act so consistently have their fingers in other pies, had the group outgrown each other? No–with the release of Hey Venus!, the band's eighth studio album, Super Furry Animals prove they can't make a boring record.From the 43-second opener "The Gateway Song", which compares the addictive nature of music to a drug habit, it's clear that SFA are returning to their roots, writing hooky, fun songs that are littered with clever puns and Phil Spectoresque harmonies. From there, "The Gift That Keeps Giving" is far more direct than any of their recent work–a sort of space-rock Gilbert O'Sullivan, and the plaintive "Carbon Dating" is so cleverly produced you will curse its too-short running time. "Let The Wolves Howl At The Moon" is similarly short, but is still the most epic song here. Although nothing on Hey Venus! matches the beauty of 2000's Welsh-language Mwng or 2001's groundbreaking Rings Around the World, it's still another great album from a criminally underrated band.