Welsh bands are all the road rage at the moment, but Super Furry Animals (above) can still send expectations veering wildly off course. Fronted by Gruff Rhys, Cardiff's answer to Han Solo, this five-piece has been heralded as leaders of the new psychedelia, and their debut album, Fuzzy Logic, is a spaced-out collection of buzzed-up tunes, featuring the superb Something for the Weekend and the rocking Bad Behaviour (featured on the Twin Town soundtrack).
Their second album, Radiator, enhanced the band's cult status, but the infectious excellence of Demons and Herman 's Pauline threatened to turn SFA loose into the mainstream. Their current album, Guerrilla, keeps one foot in the fringe, but also delivers near-perfect pop moments in Northern Lites and the new single, Fire in my Heart. The live show, a sort of stoned version of ZOOTV, will rock your brainy head at the Olympia next Tuesday night (8pm).
