I'm not a huge Super Furry Animals fan, I've got a couple of albums and appreciate their sound but I'm not so obsessed with Gruff Rhys and his previous work to let that cloud my vision (or ears!) with this new stuff. It's a definite change and to my mind for the better! It only took me one listen through to get me in to this album and for me that's a sure sign of a winner. There are some experimental hip hop tracks on here but they're not embarrasing 'white-boy' rap tracks. In fact they're very tightly formed, electronic hip hop. I understand these have ruffled some feathers with the Super Furry fans but we need to remember this isn't solely Gruff Rhys' project it's between him and Boom Bip who's been doing this kind of thing for years now. Also it's important to know that this is a musical project that has created a concept album (about the life of John DeLorean) so you're going to hear two experienced musicians creating an experimental sound for a fantastic, one off album. Don't get caught up in what Gruff 'should' be doing and just appreciate it as the very enjoyable record.

Download off Play "I told her on Alderaan" & "Sweat Shop" to get a good idea of the nature of this album

The Delorian DCM12 was de rigueur for the 1980's time traveller and it seems that Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys is trying to hark back to the heady days of 80's electro, especially on the dark and mornful 'I Lust U' and the fantastic lead track 'Told Her On Alderan'. He dabbles in house with 'Belfast' and 'Raquel', the later being thumpingly progressive and unashamedly retro.
Forays into hip hop and classic indie are less successful but it is the effortless precision of the electro tracks the earned the justly deseved Mercury nomination. 'Michael Duglas' stands out as a great example of this, it's a moody, atmospheric commentary on Capitalist/Consumerist culture.
Anyone who buys this expecting another Super Furries album will not get what they want but for anyone who, like me, grew tired of that over-ploughed furrow around the second or third record will find a real gem of a record. There's a great depth of sounds and influences and enough variety to keep you coming back again and again. What is more, Gruff has finally achieved something that the Super Furries never could as a band: the single-minded, uncompromising adherence to the concept behind the concept album, the enigmatic DCM12. Freed from the constraints of the underachieving five piece Neon Neon soars where the Super Furries flap and fluster to get themselves airbourn.

Gruff seems to be going in a lot of directions today - but not many of them are producing anything worthy of SFA's best tracks. This album goes from vaguely melodic and enjoyable to unintentionally funny and dire(see Sweat Shop). The synthy tracks that reference the bands that have influenced Gruff are reasonably okay, but I cannot fathom why he is going anywhere near the world of hiphop - it doesn't fit him.

gruff rhys living out his roxy music/cabaret voltaire fantasies to great effect, I especially like raquel but then I would, wouldn't I. a super furry fond homage to the late 70s early 80s synthesiser age that principally pleasures!