Gruff Rhys - Candylion

A man walks on to a plane to find his window seat has been taken by a rude actress whose work he despises. There's a bomb on board, but luckily he's a bomb disposal expert and she's got a pair of tweezers he can use to disarm it whilst their initially unlikely romance flourishes. They all live "unhappily ever after" in the wondrous 15-minute opus 'Skylon' from the Super Furry madman on his second solo release. Meandering effortlessly through folk, tropicalia, synth pop and country, Rhys' trademark lyrical cleverness makes for an absorbing listen throughout. Highlights, include tongue in cheek heartbreaker 'Lonesome Words', 'Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru' (meaning drive drive drive – a road song, apparently) and 'Cycle of Violence' with 9 Bach's Lisa Jen; a "dirty bombs and clean ones look the same if you look closely" lyric and rattling guitar rhythm - the most delightfully perverse duet since Kylie and Nick Cave. [Wilbur Kane]