GRUFF RHYS
SADNESS SETS ME FREE
ROUGH TRADE
★★★★
If you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to think the solo albums of ex-Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, who comes across as supremely laid back, constitute a louche canon. But the surface calm is invariably deceptive, as proved by Sadness Sets Me Free, via lyrics that touch on melancholy, family life and discontent over how we are governed. Replete with glorious melodies, notably on the title track and I Tendered My Resignation, it’s a set beautifully mixing a Celtic-Americana-tinged swing with orchestral pop flourishes.