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...

100

Junkmedia

It is every bit the equal of recent pop classics like the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin, Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, or The Shins' Oh, Inverted World.

Read Full Review >

100

Spin

Simultaneously joyous and joyless, all downloaded beats, downhearted lyrics and down-the-hatch daring. [Aug 2003, p.113]

New Musical Express

Their most focused, energetic pop record since 'Radiator'.... Certainly, 'Phantom Power' shows up Radiohead's timid adventures, while giving The Coral something to aim for too.

Read Full Review >

Playlouder

Bugger if the Furries haven't gone and exceeded their own expectations with this, a total stonker of a new record that cannot fail to excite and delight on, oh, so many levels.

Read Full Review >

Uncut

An album of hope and humour and beauty, Phantom Power is frequently as deep and mysterious as the title intimates. [Aug 2003, p.100]

Mojo

A fabulous record, a baffling, joyful, touching, frustrating, silly, totally seductive album that you can lose yourself in for an hour, a day, a week. [Aug 2003, p.92]

Pitchfork

Phantom Power sees the down-to-earth Welsh band moving away from genre-hopping and rough juxtapositions, and beginning to blend their influences into an evenly spread melange that simply sounds like a highly evolved pop band.

Read Full Review >

ShakingThrough.net

There's a newfound depth to the Furries' music, a sense that no matter how hard the band tries to keep things positive, the darkness in the world has managed to encroach on its outlook and musical approach.

Read Full Review >

PopMatters

Though not quite as spectacular as Rings Around the World, Phantom Power is still one of the most refreshingly original and fun releases of the summer.

Read Full Review >

Billboard

A diverse collection of intricately composed pop music, in the broadest sense of the genre.

Read Full Review >

Splendid

As mindlessly captivating an album as you're likely to hear all year.

Read Full Review >

Amazon.com

Sure, it's a jumble, but, like the Beatles' White Album, it hangs together.

Read Full Review >

Nude As The News

Yet another shining psychedelic opus.

Read Full Review >

Ink 19

Some may consider the Super Furries to be treading water on Phantom Power because it feels comfortable and familiar. But when something sounds this good and touches this many bases, I'll take a few more like this one.

Read Full Review >

Urb

Phantom Power is pretty much your perfect experience, certainly alongside some jazzy cigarettes and a nubile lovely. [Oct 2003, p.84]

Planet

Though the overall grainy sheen of Phantom Power sounds a bit forced, it's still not as polished and canned as its predecessor. [#5, p.104]

Alternative Press

The Furries' songs have alwyas been strong enough to succeed without shock treatment, and these antics' absence means the addictive melodies of these classic, mostly straightforward pop and glam jams will just hit your bloodstream even quicker. [Sep 2003, p.104]

Q Magazine

They've made a fine pop record without compromising their trademark quirkiness.... The band's best work to date. [Aug 2003, p.114]

Outburn

Phantom Power's Technicolor ballads, flowery pop synths and acoustic touches will leave a smile on your face even as the winter days approach. [#23, p.102]

Dot Music

A dreamy, sun-dappled delight, blending pastoral folk, psychedelia, free-wheeling, West Coast Americana and orchestral pop with such apparent effortlessness that its darker lyrical themes - the workings of sinister, invisible forces and the destruction wrought by war - are uncovered only by careful listening.

Read Full Review >

All Music Guide

Phantom Power is a very good album (and, again, compared to many of SFA's peers in 2003, it is far ahead of the pack), but it does lack some of the things that made earlier Super Furry Animals so exhilarating -- the grit, the wild abandon, the absurdity, and the sheer unpredictability, where it was impossible to tell what would happen next.

Read Full Review >

Stylus Magazine

Even if the album sounds more restrained, there is nothing holding back the quality of the material.

Read Full Review >

Entertainment Weekly

The Welsh quintet's concept-album ambitions are undercut by inherent goofiness, especially when the band parodies Robert Johnson (''Golden Retriever'') and Iron Maiden (''Out of Control'').

Read Full Review >

Rolling Stone

Densely composed yet effortlessly melodic.

Read Full Review >

Blender

Beneath the sweetest of the album's retro harmonies, though, lurk harsh synths and dark thoughts. [Oct 2003, p.128]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

DJC gave it a9:
Will super furyy animals ever make a bad album. They just seem to keep on giver it all and delivering great results. This is more accesable than their earlier work. It's also some of their best.

emily wild gave it a9:
The fact that this album has no albums in the yellow is a testament to its brilliance. This is still the best SFA album to date and it is hard to imagine them topping this absolute gem and best album of 2003.

Tyler L gave it a10:
I think that Phantom Power is one of the top cds of our modern era

matt a gave it a9:
Just barely below there last Cd, which pretty much means that it is really, really good. The Undefeated is one of the greatest songs ever.

Jon H gave it a 10:
I love this album, even more then rings around the world, though i know most would disagree with me

John gave it a 5:
The latest from the Furries is very aptly titled: the power within this album is very hard to see, if it exists at all. I should not be complaining though, it is still miles ahead of most everything cluttering up the pop charts, but, and I do hate to say this, Phantom Power is a, well, boring. Rings Around the World was far more adventurous and I wish they would have grown in that direction.

Kevin gave it a 10:
One of SFA's best releases to date, if not the best. This cd is about as diverse as you could imagine. Note that Phantom Power is also the most flowing SFA album so far. 'Hello Sunshine' might as well be a Beatles tune. 'Liberty Belle' shows lots of Beach Boys influence, with brilliant lyrics. 'Golden Retriever', the first single, is a blues-driven track. 'Sex, War, and Robots' is the almost-country version of 'Run! Christian, Run!' from 2001's Rings Around the World album. 'The Piccolo Snare' is one of SFA's best tracks ever. No doubt about it. The song describes aspects of confliict that are often overlooked, and it does so while being insanely catchy, lots of fun, and totally listenable. 'Venus and Serena' is another Beach Boys influenced song. With a nice storyline and flowing harmonies, it is one of the nicest moments on the album. 'Father Father 1' is an instrumental track that focuses on horn sounds, and adds to the overall smoothness of the cd. 'Bleed Forever' is a departure from SFA's style of late, and could perhaps have been on Radiator, their second album. The song itself is about radiation, and the damage that it creates. 'Out of Control' pushes toward heavier rock, with lead singer Gruff barking out the lyrics. 'Cityscape Skybaby' is a slower track, with a nice melody and soft chorus. 'Father Father 2' is a string-based instrumental that connects tracks ten and twelve with ease. 'Valet Parking' uses sampled car sounds and has great lyrics. 'The Undefeated' runs in the vein of 'Run! Christian, Run!', except with a bouncier feel to it. One of the most enjoyable and fun songs on the album. The final track, 'Slow Life' is a seven minute long journey that ends the album on an electronic feel, which works very well. Overall, the album is worth your money, as well as your time.

Music

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Phantom Power

Album Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases