After being busy with various projects in the last couple of months (Separado! movie, his duet album with Tony Da Gatorra…)Gruff Rhys is back with his brand new cd Hotel Shampoo. Following his first solo effort Candylion, he penned a psychedelic folk album full of sixties Californian-like ambiences.
We could have already heard Hotel Shampoo‘s first track Shark Ridden Waters which Gruff co-wrote with his long-time friend Andy Votel, a few months ago. It starts perfectly the travel through sunny melodies and put back the smiles when we’re on ”grey-ish” sad days.
Gruff’s new cd is transporting us in various ways musically. Indeed, the song Honey All Over reminds the retro and happy atmosphere of The Beach Boys. Gruff Rhys also shows us some ”ska” style influences on the background beats of Christopher Columbus with a little bit of jazzy tones. Sensations in the dark is an astonishing pop song and Take a sentence is a real ode to his contemporaries (i.e Heather Jones, Meic Stevens, etc.)
Hotel Shampoo is a must have if you’re a true fan of the Super Furry Animals and the likes of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci and more recently Huw M and Sybridion.
The album is out on February 14th on OVNI (Turnstile Music)
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