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May 1, 2014Its songs are not weighed down by the Evans concept, and are hugely enjoyable on their own merits.
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Nov 11, 2014American Interior is a monumental feat for Rhys, one that confirms just how sophisticated of a storyteller he is.
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Nov 10, 2014That it doesn't always evoke the exotic myth of the Welsh Indians is an attribute; he's wound up creating his own wildly romantic vision of America from the story of Prince Madoc and John Evans, and it's something to behold.
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Q MagazineMay 20, 2014The result is an inspired collection of songs from a consistently surprising and creative artist. [Jun 2014, p.110]
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MojoMay 15, 2014These are epic soundtracks for the lost adventurer within us all. [Jun 2014, p.91]
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May 13, 2014The Evans narrative provides an emotional throughline that connects and grounds this stylistically free-ranging collection.
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May 7, 2014It’s another excellent Gruff Rhys album then, tied around an unusual concept but not bogged down by it.
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May 5, 2014It's Rhys's empathy with Evans and the humour and pathos with which he conveys his young protagonist's emotions that makes this such a vivid and exhilarating journey.
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May 1, 2014It’s a wonderful and slightly surreal pop album, fascinating for its charming concept, yes, but also pretty damn enjoyable.
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May 1, 2014There’s a gleefully brash use of whatever’s at hand that recalls the one-man-band approach to his solo debut, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, but American Interior is also a far better exploration of Americana than Super Furry Animals’ Love Kraft turned out to be.
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Dec 8, 2014The majority of American Interior plays out like a quintessential Super Furry Animals album, complete with Rhys' mournful warble and with a touch more clarity.
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May 19, 2014It isn't quite as lovely as 2012's Hotel Shampoo and it isn't as otherworldly as his 2005 solo debut, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, but it does manage to push his freewheeling spirit to the fore throughout and there truly is a sense that journeys long and important are being taken within and alongside the music
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May 12, 2014Musically, he moved in a slightly different direction that works more often than not.
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May 12, 2014A mid-section of orchestral Bacharach lounge pop, hints of Gorillaz afro-hop on ‘Allweddellau Allweddol’, the glitchy gospel of ‘The Swamp’ and some glacial grandeur on ‘Walk Into The Wilderness’ and 'Year Of The Dog' bring a sense of nobility and glory to the tale of this tribe-hunting madman.
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UncutMay 1, 2014Evans' descendent Gruff Rhys has immortalised his journey with a saga in documentary, book, app and CD form. Rhys has a talent for presenting such material with the right mix of pathos and play. [Jun 2014, p.82]
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May 1, 2014It's another tour de force for Wales' musical explorer-in-chief, packed with the fine tunecraft, psychedelic references and experimental instrumentation we've come to expect from him.
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Nov 7, 2014Because the songs are often about the tour or the people, the lyrics are often unrelatable, with one obvious exception: “100 Unread Messages.”
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May 6, 2014A work of typically broad imagination, not everything on American Interior fully clicks into place. Yet when it does, there’s more than enough to suggest that Rhys need not cease his eternal voyaging.