Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters

There are some songs you hear and you think ‘That’s good!’, but ‘good’ is rarely an appropriate word to describe a piece of music. You’ve usually gotta do better than that. But sometimes it’s hard, especially on the first listen, to tell the difference between good and truly great. Gruff Rhys - the Super Furry Animals singer gone solo - has hit the nail on the head with this one. It’s not good, it’s not great, it’s simply superb. First of all it’s catchy as hell - and thats always a good start. Secondly, it keeps you keen throughout, never lulling, never lapsing, not even for a second. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, it’s different - the sounds are timeless, the effects are bizarre (the spanish voices, the radio scanning) but are perfectly implemented, and the riffs and bassline hold it all so perfectly together. If I’ve got one problem with it, it’s that I can’t get it out of my head. 

Sounds A Little Like: Brian Wilson meets Josh Homme?