Gruff Rhys For Rascals

Liverpool group The Rascals have recruited Super Furry Animals' mainman Gruff Rhys to appear on their new album.

The Rascals released their debut album 'Rascalize' to great acclaim last year. A stirring mixture of grandiose 60s pop, the album recalled Burt Bacharach and Scott Walker while retaining its own unique voice.

However it was perhaps unjustly over-shadowed (no pun intended) by Last Shadow Puppets. Formed by singer Miles Kane and close friend Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys fame, the group were hugely successful with their debut album being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Kane has begun to focus on his day job again, and the new Rascals album could well see the group fast forward the clock to the 70s. In a new interview with BBC 6Music the singer claimed his new material would boast shades of John Lennon and T-Rex and would feature Welsh songwriter Gruff Rhys.

"We're gonna be trying some stuff with Gruff," he explained. "We've got to set the date and that but I'm very excited to try it with him and see where we go because I really respect him and he’s a nice fella."

Super Furry Animals released their new album 'Dark Days / Light Years' recently, and are set to be busy over the summer after confirming appearances at the likes of Green Man and RockNess.

Asked about the band's new material, Miles Kane replied that "it's quite fresh sounding, quite Lennon-like, T-Rex. It's got a bit of a summer vibe to it as well."

The Rascals are currently working on their second album.