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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Love Kraft
EMAILPRINTby Super Furry Animals
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 27 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: XL / Beggars Banquet
Release Date: 13 September 2005
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys) produced the Furries' follow-up to 2003's "Phantom Power," which sees all of the band members (rather than just Gruff Rhys) taking turns at writing and singing. There are no Welsh songs this time out, although there is one in Portugese.
Also By This Artist: Dark Days/Light Years Hey Venus! Mwng Phantom Power Rings Around The World
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Gruff Rhys: Candylion Gruff Rhys: Yr Atal Genhedlaeth
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
musicOMH.com
Love Kraft is the greatest realisation of the Super Furry vision to date.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
Their melodies have never sounded richer or more lovely, their charm never more beguiling. SFA have made their best album yet.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
A work that's at once blissfully romantic, ominously dark, and ridiculously imaginative. [#10, p.107]
Uncut
Super Furry Animals have just made perhaps the defining record of their career. [Sep 2005, p.100]
Dot Music
"Love Kraft"... sees the group slowing down and settling into themselves, revelling in their customary psychedelic indulgences while knocking out a supremely relaxed perfect pop album in the process.
Read Full Review >Filter
Their greatest album. [#17, p.93]
Pitchfork
A utopian epic, a sweeping musical argument for love in the time of Fallujah.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
Even by SFA’s lofty standards, the production on Love Kraft is little short of incredible.
Read Full Review >Paste Magazine
The Furries are super once more. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.144]
Magnet
It's not so much airily psychedelic as totally stoned. [#69, p.99]
Playlouder
They seem to have recaptured a lot of the elegance and urgency that characterised the increasingly seminal 'Rings Around The World'... and the songwriting, even if it is roaming mostly uncharted territory, is back towards prime potency.
Read Full Review >Prefix Magazine
What could have easily ended up as a boring, stale record -- the sound of a band getting ready for 401(k) land -- is instead the peaceful sound of a goofy band being a little less silly.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
Just another mind-bendingly great, often dazzling SFA record. [20 Aug 2005, p.57]
Rolling Stone
Love Kraft emphasizes contemplative beauty over the manic propulsion of the band's early work.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
If Love Kraft were three or four songs shorter, would it be one of the Super Furry Animals' best records? Maybe.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Perhaps it's a little disappointing on some level that Love Kraft is merely a very good Super Furry Animals [album], with few surprises outside of its alluring sleekness.
Read Full Review >Mojo
A beautiful waste of time. [Sep 2005, p.88]
Urb
The difference between Super Furry Animals and all those freaky folk guys is that SFA aren't really trying to be all that freaky anymore. [Oct 2005, p.80]
Q Magazine
While there's no doubt that listening to the Super Furries' seventh album is mostly a pleasure, there are moments when it feels like a little less relaxation might have paid off. [Sep 2005, p.116]
Stylus Magazine
Love Kraft is taken down by sludgy pacing and a paucity of ideas.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
Frankly, Love Kraft sounds like a different band, which would be fine, if it wasn’t so less loveable and not nearly as bizarre.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 27 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Joey L gave it a10:
This is probably the best album they've made. It's mature and absolutely beautiful.
Alex gave it a10:
Another comment here asks "Are they ever going to make an album that is less than brilliant?" Unlikely.
Jim D gave it a9:
Anyone who likes SFA and doesn't think this album is great should listen to it at least 20 times before giving it a rating. I wasn't all that impressed after the first couple of listens, but now I have to say its one of my favourite albums of all time. If it didn't have "The Horn" on it, it would be a perfect album.
Julian R gave it a6:
This album is merely pleasant. Like on Phantom Power, not much immediately stands out and grabs you. Definitely one of the band's lesser efforts, though still worthwhile. Only the opening track "Zoom!" has me pressing the repeat button. Perhaps their best ever song.
Josh K gave it a10:
This album has captured my imagination. Only recently have I even heard of Super Furry Animals, and already they have become one of my favorite groups. Despite the fact that I like ther Guerilla album better, this album is still well deserving of a perfect score, for its grace and perfection. The type of music is just to my liking. A mixture of electronica and pop rock, with a very talented vocalist, who has, in my opinion, an extremely sexy voice.
Samuel L gave it a4:
My infatuation with this band has known no bounds for the last five years. Unfortunately, Love Kraft is decidedly mediocre in almost every regard. Glimmers of creativity are there, but are much too infrequent to make me really care. The band claims the weather and atmosphere influenced the direction they went on this album, but it didn't need to drain them of energy, quirk, and talent. This is the first SFA album that has really made me worry about the band's future. Let's hope their next is a return to form.
Brian D gave it a10:
Takes a few listens, but it is certainly worth the effort. Are they ever going to make an album that is less than brilliant?
