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Jan 24, 2023 By Mark Redfern

Gruff Rhys, Welsh frontman of Super Furry Animals, is releasing soundtrack for the film The Almond and the Seahorse on February 24 via Rough Trade. Now he has shared two more songs from the album: “Layer Upon Layer” and “Orea.” The former was shared via a lyric video and sounds more like Rhys’ electro-pop side-project Neon Neon than his usual solo work. Listen to both below.

Rhys had this to say in a press release: “‘Layer Upon Layer’ is a song I wrote for the opening titles of the film (The Almond and the Seahorse)—I wrote it to a specific tempo that goes with Rebel Wilson’s bike ride through Liverpool and her ferry journey to the Wirral—so it’s something I’d have never written in any other context—and a great excuse to record a shiny three-minute power-pop song.”

Rhys previously shared a video for the soundtrack’s first single, “Amen.” The film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg.

In a previous press release, Rhys had this to say about the album: “The soundtrack for The Almond and the Seahorse was recorded largely in pandemic conditions, so it was a matter of recording in bursts of possible activity in various friends’ studios, homes and even scout halls as chance permitted. It’s a varied quilt work as a result. As sonic flagpoles I wanted to signify the film’s location in Liverpool and the Wirral by liberally, but hopefully not too obviously, using the Mellotron synthesizer (as famously used in ‘Strawberry Fields’ by The Beatles and therefore in my mind it represents that great city sonically) and the cello as a nod to its use by Gwen’s character in the film.

“I was encouraged by Mike Jones the editor to take things to a more acoustic, emotional and ragged place. That, I hope, roughly explains the trajectory of the recording and how the varied music contained in this record came about. I hope you enjoy this colorful scrapbook of a soundtrack and get a chance to watch the film.”

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