Rating: NNNNN
Knowing that Welsh folk great Meic Stevens once released an album of children’s songs, Super Furries frontman Gruff Rhys uses his second solo album, Candylion, to try answering the musical question “What if Stevens scored the soundtrack to the sort of 70s Saturday-morning television program Rhys grew up watching?” What you encounter are lightly strummed sunny psych tunes that seem to be inspired equally by Sesame Street and H.R. Pufnstuf, with only the slowly chugging 14-minute closing epic offering any respite from the the smiley-face frolic, but still well clear of demented Wonder Showzen turf. Ultimately, Candylion is more annoying than entertaining.