Hotel Shampoo

Gruff Rhys checks in with third solo album, Hotel Shampoo, his most ambitious and fully realized yet. As well as the intentions above, Hotel Shampoo is inspired by, and takes its title from, Gruff's extensive collection of mini shampoo bottles and complimentary hotel products acquired whilst touring the world. "Having never kept a journal these items have become like diary entries, triggering memories of all those buildings and random people I've met and inspiring songs on the album." Hotel Shampoo's reception desk and opener "Shark Ridden Waters" is a slice of kaleidoscopic, cinematic pop music produced by Andy Votel. A dozen equally sumptuous songs follow with Gruff's highly original, cliché-free lyrics ranging over a wide spectrum of topics. Uplifting, mariachi-tinged "Sensations In The Dark" celebrates discovering music, eco politics is discussed on "Conservation Conversation," colonization invades 60s style stomp "Christopher Columbus" and "Patterns Of Power" touches on inequality over wailing, distorted guitar. In addition to vocals, Gruff has played much of the instrumentation himself with the album mostly recorded in north Wales before being mixed in LA.