Search - Super Furry Animals :: Mwng

How can this be?

chloe lindsay | NYC | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How can an album entirely in Welsh, a language I do not understand a word of, strike a chord and sound as beautiful and meaningful as The Beach Boys, The Beatles and Neil Young? The Furries might be most loved for being the psychedelic Welsh Kinks, but this is their most beautiful moment to date. Fan or not, you can't help but be seduced by these tunes. Gruff's voice is at its finest and the melodies on this album bring to mind Brian Wilson, Lennon & McCartney, Scott Walker and later day Byrds.Best thing about this record? Apart from the twinkling delicate beauty of the music, you can always sit back, skin up and imagine you know exactly what they're singing about."

Basic Animal Instict

08/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in their native tongue Welsh and on a shoe-string budget financed by their very own label, this record represented a back to basics policy for the furries - in comparison to the lavishly produced predecessor, Guerilla. A previous reviewer's comparison with Blink 182 is laughable. Although not as immediate as Fuzzzy Logic and the awe-inspiring Radiator this record grows upon you to the point where it can be considered a classic. The fact that this record received virtually no publicity and was supported only by a limited-edition single, the soaring Ysbeidiau Heulog, yet became the best-selling ever Welsh language record within days of its relief is a tribute to the bands fanatical core support. The music certainly delivers.Thers the usual mix of strange and wonderful topics gripping Gruff Rhys' mind. From Beehives to old school teachers and even roman roads and the death of rural communities. The album has a rawer acoustic groove at the start but builds to something more up-tempo and uplifting for a killer run of mid-album tracks. The mood becomes more relaxed again before the albums soaring finish on "Cold Mars On Neptune" takes the furries to the stratosphere and beyond. There may not be as many trippy sound effects from Cian Ciaran but then again the Furries were never going to be a band to repeat themselves.Certainly anyone who has liked the other furries material should not be put off by the fact the album is in Welsh. Before this album there have been some awesome Welsh songs from the Furries such as Arnofio/Glo In The Dark and Torra Fy Ngwallt Yn Hir. This is the sound of a band not playing to the sound of a record company and as a result a band sounding like their having the time of their lives. Enjoy."

Rare Welsh Bits

Michael Crowley | Albany, CA USA | 09/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the notes to the second song, Ymaelodi A'r Ymylon (Joining the Periphery or Banished to the Periphery) Gruff says "It's partly about our experiences of doing taboo moves like singing in English. Its about being banished from a musical scene but it could also be about being banished from a group of friends." So apparently at one point the Furries were pretty hooked into the whole Welsh nationalist scene, or whatever you want to call it. This was either their attempt to reconnect with their hardcore Welsh homies, or a fond farewell to them-a last look back as they head over the hills to further fame and fortune.



Pan Ddaw'r Wawr (When Dawn Breaks) is about "the death of rural communities...I suppose its from experience, areas where I grew up...". Another song's title, Gwreiddlau Dwfn is translated as Deep Roots. Sarn Helen is about how lousy the transport is in Wales today, how it was better when the Romans were occupying the place. Y Teimlad (The Feeling) is a cover of a tune by an obscure (to us outside of Wales, anyway) Welsh band called Dathblygu, but they're named-dropped as though everyone's heard of them. That song, incidentally, is one of the CD's high points, a soaring melancholy anthem about love which is so moving, sez Gruff, that he "would rather not tarnish and trivialize it with one of my shady translations!" Somehow the feeling comes through nevertheless.



So Welsh culture is kind of a theme here, but actually most of the songs aren't specifically about Wales (although five of the songs aren't translated so who knows?). They're about stuff like good vs. evil (Drygioni/Badness or Bad Drugness). War (Y Gwyneb Lau/Liverface--I'm including the song names just because it's fun typing them crazy Welsh words). Gruff's kindergarden teacher (Dacw Hi/There She Is). Beehives (Nythod Cacwn/Beehives-although they're metaphorical beehives). Etc.



(Incidentally, the CD notes don't come with the CD. You can find them, and Welsh and English lyrics for most of the songs, online at www.mwng.co.uk; click on the album cover on the right, then click on Tracks, then on "geiriau/Lyrics" at top right)



Personally, I like the slightly rough, homemade, indie-rock sound. You get the sense that what you're listening to is a homely little labor of love, something the artists did for themselves and their friends. Something from their private collection. It seems very personal and heartfelt. And although it is kinda folky (which is okay by me), several songs rock unashamedly.



And its interesting to hear what Welsh sounds like. Doesn't really sound like any other European language I've heard. Maybe just a little like Russian, oddly enough."