Love Kraft

Super Furry Animals (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2005)
• Original Release Date: September 13, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Xl Recordings
• ASIN: B000A78Z7S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,456 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Not, seemingly, an album about the Welsh band's adoration of boxed macaroni and cheese products. Then again, with Super Furry Animals it's impossible to tell. Its seventh album is aimed squarely at those who find the Flaming Lips a little too timid, Brian Wilson too rational, the Arcade Fire too conventional - essentially people who will always pick Donovan over Dylan. "Zoom" opens things with wailing guitars and a celestial chorus, tumbling into the LSD-dipped psychedelia of "Atomik Lust," which includes the only decipherable lyric, "Fine time to walk on wine," and then it's off to Neptune with the twisted but tender "Ohio Heat." A fine addition to a career that has already yielded bizzare hits like "Golden Retriever" and "Something 4 The Weekend." --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description
Their seventh album might just be the definitive SFA release. It's their loveliest and most cohesive, and is the first album to feature songs written and sung by nearly all the group members. In diversifying, they've found new focus in this full-on psychedelic soul masterpiece. "Love Kraft" is immense in scope, with more than half of its twelve tracks featuring swooning string arrangements (courtesy of unofficial Furry and sometime High Llama, Sean O'Hagan) as well as the odd appearance from a 100-strong mixed voice Catalan choir. Produced by Mario Caldato (Beastie Boys).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Chapter, September 13, 2005

By	C. Minney "defuser" (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A long way from being a household name in the states, the Furries are
getting a foothold. Lazer Beam, their first single is a grand culmination
of "cosmic funk" & power rock sung by a Welshman in a Tron suit. SFA show
they are the alternate universe Coldplay (give Chris Martin the Evil Spock
beard) with an authentically unique sound that seems to fit no clique. A
bad thing if you're in high school, but the only true way to continue
evolving creatively in the world of art and music.

If you were to dip the best of Welsh pop music sung in english into ecstasy
and cut that squirming, glowing fluorescent blob into album form using a
large mushroom cap as the playing surface - you would have Love Kraft.

Anyone who's already a fan of the band will probably buy this album anyway,
but I've you've never heard these guys, I suggest you have an open mind (it
may help to augment the experience with the assist of draw), and suggest
you lay down, close your eyes and make sure you have plenty of hydration
within reach.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inventive as ever, December 9, 2005

By	alexliamw (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Probably their best album since 'Radiator', 'Love Kraft' is the Super Furry Animals at their best. There seems to be a smooth love song theme to this album, but done in a typically bizarre Furries manner. Opener 'Zoom!' is quite simply one of their best tracks ever, a mesmerising blend of a funk/soul groove with proggy experimentalism layered gloriously on top. In fact the whole album has a very Motown influence. There are poppy acoustic moments, crazy rock-out moments, mad techno moments, and so forth. 'Lazer Beam', the single, has a blissfully hyped up chorus, and while there's nothing on here as immediately poppy as, say, 'Juxtaposed With U', it's catchy stuff. Reccomended for old fans and newcomers alike; it showcases them as one of the most inventive bands around.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Have To Love The Kraftmanship, September 13, 2005

By	Aladinsane (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

It gets a bit tiresome proclaiming each Super Furry Animals album their latest masterpiece that exceeds anything previous. Many of their long time fans know full well that this band reached a new level of excellence with the album Rings Around The World and quite frankly, they haven't come down from that level one bit. Phantom Power and now Love Kraft just further cement their place as one of the most consistently entertaining, creative and melodic bands on the planet. Albums that came before Rings were outstanding as well but none of those previous works were as completely satisfying as their more recent works have been.

Love Kraft blends so many divergent sounds into one album that its hard to pinpoint any statement or word that sums up the album adequately. They are true musical chameleons who smash up every influence they've ever had musically yet come out with something so utterly original and of their own that comparisons seem mute. The one aspect of this album that comes across as refreshing is how each song winds up being different from one another while still adding up to a cohesive and satisfying album on whole. From harmonica to strings, every form of sound possible in Pop Rock music is present for the listener and yet nothing is wasted. Every instrument has its place and purpose among this musical soundscape. Love Kraft will not win over many in the States, however, you have to give them credit for making an album that stays completely true to their roots while giving it a healthy go at appealing to the masses. Most bands either lose the sound that made them what they are in trying to achieve this or continue to become more obscure in their approach forgetting that you still need to write songs.

The Horn, Ohio Heat, Frequency and Cloudberries definitely stand out so far as my favorites though that will surely change as I become more entrenched in it. In fact, Frequency may just be one of the most beautiful tunes they've ever penned. If your a fan who is familiar with their works this album will satisfy you completely, however, if your new to them you may be thrown off by the sound at first glance. I would almost recommend a new listener get a copy of their singles collection Songbook, Vol.1 before diving into this one if only to sample everything they've done to this point. It will make this album seem like the continuation of a linear creative process that it certainly is. But, if your adventourous then I doubt you will be disappointed.

In the end Love Kraft may just be SFA's most uplifting album to date and the world neeeds as many albums like that as it can get. Any year that a Super Furry Animals album comes out is a good one in my book and this one has already brightened my day just as their music has brightened my life ever since I first got Furry many years ago! Do yourself a favor and get Furry too!