Album by Gruff Rhys

This was my first time listening to Gruff Rhys, and it ended up being one of the more interesting albums I’ve come across from 2024 so far. It’s eclectic in a way that keeps you guessing from track to track. The music drifts through a lot of sounds and moods along the way creating a real eclectic mix. Some tracks felt like a take on power-pop while others made me think of songs like “Bonnie and Clyde” by Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg.

The title track, “Sadness Sets Me Free,” opens the album in a way that immediately grabbed my attention. Musically it almost sounds like a country song sung in a Leonard Cohen register. Lyrically it circles around the idea that sadness never fully disappears — it just becomes something you learn to live with.

“Bad Friend” has one of the best hooks on the album, reflecting on the strange way friendships evolve as you get older — people drift apart, lose touch, but the bond never completely disappears. “Celestial Candyfloss” was another favorite, pairing a falsetto vocal with a trippy arrangement that gave me a bit of an Electric Light Orchestra vibe.

“Silver Lining Lead Balloon” carries a clever sentiment that life can feel heavy and discouraging but you still have to keep moving anyway. Later in the album, “I Tendered My Resignation” might be the saddest moment on the record, comparing the end of a relationship to quitting a job, while the closing track “I’ll Keep Singing” ends things on a more hopeful note — a quiet reminder to keep going.

Some songs took a little time to click with me, but the more I sat with this album the more I appreciated how thoughtful and creative it is. It’s a little strange at times, but in a way that keeps pulling me back. And in the end, I found that the entire album, from top to bottom, was perfectly crafted.

Verdict: Solid

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