7.5/10
Gruff Rhys goes where many others fear to tread; in a fifteen-year solo trot caused by the very long-term hiatus of the Super Furry Animals he’s made records about, amongst others, John DeLorean, Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and John Evans.
Never underinvested, whilst some artists describe a project as a concept album when it has a couple of tracks which mention aliens, few people have shown as much commitment to the principle as the man who on his last album Pang ended up with lyrics sung in Zulu.
The difference here is that Seeking New Gods isn’t about a god but about a mountain, specifically Mount Paektu in Korea, a still active volcano and supposedly the birthplace of Dangun, the founder of the first Korean kingdom more than 4,000 years ago.
Tired of writing about himself, the songs on Gruff Rhys’ seventh solo album were all inspired by events relating to North Korean volcano Mount Paektu. Recorded with the same band that featured on 2018’s
Babelsberg, it was put together as they toured America. On their drive, it evolved into more of a West Coast road album, with the volcano becoming a metaphor for Rhys himself and the times we’re living through.
There are vague references to
“the constant rumble” and
“looking for truth and wisdom” but it isn’t an overtly political album. Allusive rather than specific, it comfortably sits within his solo and Super Furry Animals back catalogue. ‘Loan Your Loneliness’ and ‘Can’t Carry On’, in particular, are as concise and pop-orientated as he’s ever been, with their stomping psych influences and soft-rock harmonies.