Some people are built to do certain things. Muhammad Ali
slipped punches. Richard Pryor cracked jokes, and Bill Clinton fucks.
It’s what they do. The Super Furry Animals? Well, they’re built
to make pop music.
Now wait a minute, you say, the Beatles were built to make pop
music. You’d say that and you’d be right. But dammit, just because some
people are designed for things, doesn’t mean they’re the best at
it.
Which is not to say that the Furries aren’t good—on the
contrary, they’re damn good. And they have been for 15 years. How many
bands performing today have been doing so for that long without falling
off? Not many. Perhaps the sweetest part about the Furries and their
beautifully layered, bubbling, tongue-in-cheek pop sound is how much
they’re enjoying themselves. The Welsh band writes and tours
relentlessly, and though the albums contain moments of venom and
melancholy, a light-hearted, airy humor always prevails.
The Furries’ most recent offering, Hey Venus!, is no
exception: Eleven tracks of pristine, glittering pop, colored by horns,
strings, bells, and more. Rather than re-inventing themselves every few
years—as many bands of matching longevity do—the Furries
evolve. They add more layers, become greater craftsmen, and they do it
somewhat slowly.
The evolution and width of their offerings outside of—or
rather, alongside—their sound, however, has moved at a much
faster clip. For years the Furries have offered their fans much more
than just another 13 songs every few years. There are complete DVD
albums with matching videos and all kinds of bells and whistles. Live,
the Furries take it even further.
During their most recent Portland performance at the Wonder
Ballroom, the Welshmen brought costumes, set pieces, remarkable sound,
and a killer, psychedelic video production.
And while it’s difficult to say what extras the band is bringing
along this go-around, fans can help the band choose the night’s set. No
joke—voting is open on their website. How’s that for the
evolution of accessibility?