Seeking New Gods
finds
Gruff Rhys
once again indulging his yen for mythology. This time, he invents a history for Mount Paektu, a volcano in North Korea.
Rhys
assembled the album as he toured North America in support of his 2018 album
Babelsberg
, cutting most of the record in the Mojave desert with his touring band. The finished album, mixed by
Mario Caldato
, has an immediacy that reflects its relatively quick conception and, coming after the nimble electronic experiments of 2019's
Pang!
, there's something bracing about the directness of
. Naturally,
litters the record with fanciful flights and clever juxtapositions, so this isn't necessarily a straightforward excursion. The execution, though, is direct in a way
hasn't been since the dissolution of
Super Furry Animals
, and that boldness feels something like a homecoming even if he's exploring new ground throughout
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine