I haven't heard Gruff Rhys' latest album Seeking New Gods, which came out in May, but I was emailed a link for the Loan Your Loneliness (Edits) EP a couple of days ago. The lead song is a chugging cracker, and the accompanying video is a delight, with giant reptiles, woolly mammoths and Gruff evoking the appearance of 1980s Bob Dylan, albeit with a double-headed electic guitar. Predominantly monochrome with the odd splash of colour to begin, the video explodes into full colour during the extended wig out in the song's latter half. Wonderful.
The EP, which is available on Gruff Rhys' Bandcamp page, contains two other edits. The Luke Abbott Version retains the spirit of the original, stripping out some of the layers and extending the song to nearly eight minutes. The Don Leisure Remix kicks off with a bossanova rhythm before layered vocals, sci-fi FX and looped drums keep things rolling for a crisp three minutes.
A quick search of YouTube also reveals a lovely version, performed at Rockfield Studios, as well as a snippet from his gig at Future Yard in Birkenhead, if you needed proof that it sounds equally wonderful live.
Gruff was my first post-lockdown gig in August in a packed Louisiana with Big Jeff Johns immediately to my right. Early on the 3 fab tracks from the 'seeking new gods' album were played including 'mausoleum of my former self' 'loan your loneliness' and 'can't carry on' my personal fave. Will give the remixes a listen later - I'm hoping that Gruff will get back together with SFA next Xmas for a 21st anniversary run out of 'rings around the world'....
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic, Mike. I don't think I've been to the Louisiana in nearly 20 years, but I loved the place and it was the epitome of the intimate gig! Musically-speaking, Gruff Rhys really is the gift that keeps on giving. I've never seen SFA or Gruff solo, definitely on the list, so I hope the 21st anniversary celebrations happen.
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