Gruff Rhys - 'Candylion' (Rough Trade) Released 08/01/06

As front man of one of the best and most creative bands of the past decade, Gruff Rhys’ solo work has a lot to live up to to parallel the greatness of the Super Furry Animals’ output. Sung entirely in his native Welsh, 2005’s debut ‘’Yr Atal Genhedlaeth’ showed a flair for his trademark blithe melodies and vivacious sounds, yet, patchy in parts, it wasn’t quite a complete work. Fortunately, the gorgeous ‘Candylion’ now displays the man’s full potential and off-kilter genius.

Okay, devoid of the electronic wizardry and layered soundscapes the other Furries concoct, the album may not be as forward-thinking as some would hope, but it more than makes up for this in its sheer beauty and radiance. Sung in Rhys’ distinctive style, the whole of ‘Candylion’ is imbued with a familiarity from the offset, the melodies are timeless and it leaves you with a positively glowing feeling inside. The title track, for example, is easily one of the most feel-good songs you will ever hear - even the ominous titled ‘Cycle of Violence’ comes with a message of goodwill and harmony “peace together one another” amidst the tootles of flutes and sanguine acoustica. Sung predominately in English too, most listeners can fully identify with the optimistic lyrics.

Elsewhere, the twee ‘Beacon In The Darkness’ is an ode full of loved up lyrics, while the Spanish sung ‘Con Carino’ could almost be a child’s lullaby such is its naïve charm. ‘Gryrru Gyruu Gyruu’ too is impossibly bouncy, with its highly repetitive wordplay eating away at the listener, before the lush ‘Now That The Feeling Is Gone’ hits home. Clutching at straws, you could say the final album track ‘Skylon!’ ambles too much in its 14 minutes plus and doesn’t take the us anywhere too interesting, and while it certainly could have easily been chopped down, in the context of the rest of the work it’s little bother.

A joyous work that’s as endearing as the cardboard cut out lion on the front cover.