Super Furry Animals - Songbook: The Singles Volume One

How many people were expecting this almost ten years ago? Post-Oasis Creation signings were usually more Hurricane #1 style turgid indie-rock than glorious, rising psychedelica. There’s no way anyone could honestly say they had any idea that in 2004 we’d be dealing with one of the greatest bands of our generation, never mind an animal brass section and a bunch of yetis.

While Britpop died, SFA drove around in a tank, releasing the top 40 single with the most expletives of all time. ‘The Man Don’t Give A Fuck’ is only one of a whole stream of classics here. For every Furries song you can remember, you’ll know another two - from the wonderfully oddball ‘Hermann Loves Pauline’ to the irresistible ‘Northern Lites’.

‘If You Don’t Want Me To Destroy You’ sounds a million times better than you ever remembered it, tender but genius. ‘Do Or Die’ is going to inspire multiple playbacks all over again, and ‘Rings Around The World’ could be the best, and most underrated pop single of the last five years.

While people acclaim Blur and Radiohead for reinventing themselves, neither of them have ever managed it anywhere near as effortlessly as the Super Furries. They’ve flirted with the limelight many a time, but always managed to avoid being the biggest goddamn band in the world. For a band that can sell out shows, they’re still underrated, and probably always will be - but they are undoubtedly one of the best bands of whatever era you wan’t to place them in. Not that they’re finished yet.