FUZZY LOGIC

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS is a strange band emerging out of Wales, UK in the 90s and not strange like OMG this music is too weird, man! Strange in that they are at their base a britpop band that has song structures similar in catchiness to the bigwigs of that movement like Oasis, Blur and Supergrass but also incorporates a healthy dose of neo-psychedelia from Radiohead, the indie pop craziness of Ween, the glam rock riffage from David Bowie, Alice Cooper and other 70s giants as well as sensual orchestration like that of The Verve.

FUZZY LOGIC is their debut LP and a surprise to find that it is a very consistent album incorporating so many different influences that end up working together so very well. While the short intro track "God! Show Me Magic" sounds a lot like the harder sounds of Supergrass, it quickly cedes to a slower britpop Oasis groove that sounds more like a glam rock Bowie song, but although the influences are evident they are just distant enough to keep me from crying rip off.

Tracks like "Hometown Unicorn" show a distinct "The Mollusk" era Ween sound in action with Hendrix guitar and solos and other 60s psych / pop influences melded together. The rest of the album follows suit mixing and fusing all these influences together with catchy britpop based compositions but always bring some strange new ideas or seasoning to the table. This is only the debut album by SFA. Despite their delving into the progressive realms of music they were also fairly successful from the start on the UK pop charts.

Their sound becomes more distinct starting with their second album "Radiator" when all these detectable influences simmer down into a tastier concoction generating a more original sound. For a debut album clearly rooted in the britpop era i have to say that i find this album a winner. The production is crystal clear, the alternation of hard and soft tracks mixed with glam, psychedelic, indie rock / pop as well as 60s influences too numerous to mention really adds up to a pleasant surprise.