MANIC STREET PREACHERS - FULL DISCOGRAPHY DEEP DIVE

MANIC STREET PREACHERS -
FULL DISCOGRAPHY DEEP DIVE

INTRO:

I always find it interesting when I discover a band that has a really layered and likable array of output - especially when that band had barely ever made a blip on my radar previously. From Wales, Manic Street Preachers didn't release their debut album until 1992 - meaning I missed them during my very formative years as a college DJ. Not to say I didn't discover new music after '91, but MSP just seemed to elude me. And I don't think I'm the only one. Though they have had an extremely successful career in Europe (especially the UK), they just never broke big on this side of the pond - despite the fact that many of their contemporaries with similar sound profiles did. This might be chalked up to the fact that the band made a few fairly drastic directional moves or it could simply be the case of a solid band just never finding that foot-in-the-door that escalates them to more widespread popularity. Either way, the band has enjoyed a 30+ year career and over their 14 albums they have delivered some really fantastic music and have carved out a unique approach doing so. As with Porcupine Tree, I entered this Full Discography Deep Dive with almost no knowledge of what was coming - and as is usually the case, discovery like that (even if it doesn’t necessarily land in my particular wheelhouse of preferred music - though much of this did) is always enjoyable. If you aren’t familiar with the band, I hope my thoughts will encourage you to take some time to check them out. NOTE: For each album, in addition to including thoughts, I will be offering a Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down rating, as far as whether I would suggest the album - as well as a letter Grade to more specifically share where each album falls on my personal scale. For what it’s worth.

Generation Terrorists

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Richey Edwards (guitar), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Steve Brown

Recorded at: Black Barn Studios / London

Released: February 10, 1992

This album is a total musical time machine. Generation Terrorists, through and through, is an album that you could absolutely mistake as coming out mid-80s - despite its '92 release date. All leftover, rehashed hair metal wanna-be and legs apart, fist in the air rocker stance. Too polished to feel threatening, just heavy & loud enough to not thread any old New Wave links. Crue, Warrant, Skid Row, 70s polished glam, even some Guns & Roses - this seems to be the fountain this band primarily draws from - at least during this early point in their career.

I won't lie, it didn't even take the full album (though I gave it several solid listens) to remember EXACTLY why I forgot about this band almost as quickly as they briefly grabbed my attention.

Let's talk about the good stuff first. Cliches and reworn approaches aside, I find myself kind of wanting to like these guys - maybe even more than I remember initially wanting to do so when I listened to this the first time back in '92. It can't really be argued that there is anything strikingly new or original to be found - I mean, come on, every vocal phrasing, every guitar lick, even the overstated echo on the drums - it's all borrowed and lifted from the 80s pop rock/hard rock canons. But, and this is an important ‘but’, there is, at least seemingly, a respectful nod in all this lifting. It is done earnestly and intentionally and, therefore, feels forgivable and maybe even a little justified. 

I read a few music-article mentions of connections with The Clash. I didn't really make those comparisons all that easily - I'm guessing that really falls under the "press machine/build the hype" umbrella. Even a song like "Damn Dog" that, for half a second, could slightly remind you of a punk song, quickly morphs into something mid-80s Aerosmith or Skid Row might have released.

Tracks like "Motorcycle Emptiness", "Little Baby Nothing" (that just happens to feature porn star Traci Lords on backing vocals), & "Another Invented Disease" (Bon Jovi meets Warrant anyone?) are quite solid and appealing mainstream rock tracks with just enough touch of alt-leanings and distant punk roots to keep things interesting.

And I was really interested to find out that Public Enemy's Bomb Squad production team was brought in to mix "Repeat (Stars and Stripes)". I definitely think they could have taken that quite a bit further and I actually would have loved to see a bit more of that sort of playfulness and invention throughout, but still applaud them for the effort. Speaking of PE, was I the only one that noticed the MSP "lift" of the intro PE used to kick-off their seminal sophomore release It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back on "Repeat (U.K.)"?

Some songs, let's be honest, were just a bit too flat. "Spectators Of Suicide" and "Tennessee" just barely treaded water - that extra 90s echo production certainly didn't help. And standing as the longest track (at just over 6 minutes), "Condemned To Rock n' Roll" was as cliche as it gets - even in an album full to the brim with such. Yawn. But, even given the length of the album, it really didn't seem overloaded with filler. At least not distractingly so. They absolutely could have been more judicious in final song selection, but how many bands/albums can you say that about? Certainly not something they are solely guilty of. 

Look - God bless any band that landed on the wrong side of releasing a "traditional" rock album within the ground zero impact of Nevermind - just 4 months following it in this case. These guys were obviously done recording this before they heard Nevermind, but by then the door had firmly been kicked off of it's hinges and no one could have known the fallout - or what toll it would take on even above-average bands still trying to work within a medium that was about to crumble & collapse around them. Roots in glam (as seen through the eyes of hair metal) rock was about to die a painful death until bands like Darkness or, later on, Steel Panther would learn how to approach it again with enough humor to not make it completely ironic.

All things considered, while there isn't anything astounding to be found, nothing is overtly offensive in its cliches. It's a rock band trying to make a solid rock album - nothing more, nothing less. 

My big hope (and this really is a complete unknown as this album was all I knew about this band as I entered this Full Discography Deep Dive) is that they adapt quickly. Obviously, they didn't do it enough to stay on my radar (an alt/modern rock fan that committed to buying their first album), but considering they have released 13 albums, they obviously found a way to survive on some level. I just know that I don't have 13 more Generational Terrorists in me - though I'm going to lay a healthy wager on them coming around to the British rock/pop sound that I have, in my mind, always associated them with. I may even find out that I actually did, in fringe ways, know about a few of their later released tracks and that is why I associate them as such. We'll see.

CONCLUSION: In the end, though it certainly isn't anything near the strongest Thumbs Up I've given, I'll give it just that based on the fact that, for the most part, all the Frankensteined pieces they sewed together to make this album are found pieces that I basically like in their original form and remain likable enough in this setting. It earns a Grade of a healthy C.

Gold Against The Soul

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Richey Edwards (guitar), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Dave Eringa

Recorded at: Outside Studios / England

Released: June 21, 1993

So, apparently, the guys didn't feel the impact of Nevermind at all. Or, maybe, (and good for them if this is the case), they said "Fuck It - We’ll make the record we want, dammit!!"

Unfortunately, the domino effect here is that this album ends up feeling like more of the same. I will say, the upgrade in sound and tightness in production is felt immediately, but I'm not really all that sure that this is necessarily a good thing. What I mean by that is that this particular batch of songs - though they basically sound well-put together - don't really seem strong enough to be worthy of this slicker shine. In fact, kind of the opposite. The whole collection ends up feeling too packaged and slick and really leaves the band VERY light in identity. Lots of been-there/done-that throughout. Perhaps these same songs in the hands of a more "organic" producer might have fared better.

This really does just feel like a continuation of the first album, albeit a tighter and surface-focused set. I listened to it in its entirety several times and nothing more than fleeting moments here & there ever really warranted my attention. Absolutely none of the tracks rose in my consciousness to be memorable or lasting. And the bits of personality from the first album seem to have completely vanished. 

What I'm left with is functional, but forgettable rock. And the more I think about it, is there anything worse? A bit of a rhetorical question, but maybe one worth examining. I love rock music and this clearly isn't an album made by guys that can't play their instruments or can't arrange a track or don't bring it all together in a mostly sweet-smelling product, but what soul lives within its confines? I'm not feeling tons of soul or inspiration or, really, anything.

If pressed, I would say that "From Despair To Where" stood out a slight bit more as a track I could sink my teeth into - probably because the "rock" approach gives way, ever so gingerly, to an "alt modern rock" sound. Several of the other songs went down easy enough, but by the end of the following track they were completely out of my mind - they just didn't stick.

I will add that I really like the album cover artwork. I dig the way the roses remind me, intentionally I'm sure, of a gas mask. It's odd and surreal and worth a second look. Something the album's music could have definitely used a healthy dose of.

CONCLUSION: In the end, I'm going to have to fault this collection for completely personal gut-feeling reasons. I'll give this a Thumbs Down and a Grade of C- in the name of it just not giving me enough (or anything) that made me feel something. From the little of what I've read in advance about the next album - and the fact that Apple Music selects that as the band's one "Essential Album" - I remain hopeful and definitely have not given up on the future of where these guys will navigate to. Let's see.

The Holy Bible

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Richey Edwards (guitar), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: MSP, Steve Brown

Recorded at: Sound Space Studios / Wales

Released: August 29, 1994

Early confession, based on the initial hype and expectations I had about this album being a revealing career-definer for the band, I was not totally blown away.

It has to be addressed that the in-your-face shock I experienced with the unexpected launch of the "80s hair metal" phase displayed on the first two albums has created a somewhat shaky foundation - but I was, knowing that a hard turn in style was coming on this album, prepared to weather through and had myself set to hear what I thought I was going to get in the first place.

This didn't quite happen with this album. 

Yes, it is certainly a shift from where they started, but this album absolutely doesn't fit neatly into the Brit-pop sound found on Oasis' Definitely Maybe (which, interestingly, was released on the exact same day this one came out) or Blur's Parklife or Suede's Dog Star Man. The band has definitely connected with a punk snarl - but this has as much to do with the overall sound production as the songs themselves. The polished sheen of the first two albums is gone and, as I mentioned, it greatly affects the way the songs are experienced.

A little perspective (at least in America), this is also the year that saw NIN's Downward Spiral, Pearl Jam's Vitalogy, Green Day's Dookie, and Weezer's debut. Come on - that would be a tough crowd for even the strongest release to stand toe-to-toe with. This album is solid enough (and is even quite interesting in places), but it just isn't up to the challenge of existing on a playing field of sound dominated by such clearly superior albums.

After a few listens, I can sign-off on the 80s influence being mostly out of their system. I do hear notes of some "British roots" bands (Gang of Four and Wire most notably), but not overwhelmingly so. This is still much more of a rock album than any of their British contemporaries. There are also no overtly observed connections to The Beatles or The Kinks or The Who or The Stones as in their more popular British peers - or as in the case with Suede, Bowie. Mixed with those punk influences, I do hear strains that pick-up on American grunge & metal - moments of everyone from Pearl Jam to Alice In Chains, but also a layering of more traditional rock/pop acts like Cheap Trick. And once I got it in my head, it was hard to unhear The Scorpions' Klaus Meine around every corner. Vocally, it's a weird hybrid of punk lash with metal phrasing and inflections. 

All of this leads me to the question of intent. What is real and where does the possibility of being posers enter into the conversation? 

I get that bands shift direction and are morphed by outside influences - but they also often want to stay in the "business" of music and therefore can be led to make dubious choices that they think/hope will sway public opinion (and dollars) their way. 

Are these guys metal-heads that "got back to their punk roots" in hopes of distancing themselves from the showy prance of 80s-metal and aligning more closely with the undeniable fallout of Nevermind in pursuit of avoiding being locked-up in a extinction-level niche OR are they one of those bands just a few steps behind the curve who possibly cut their teeth on said 80s-metal and just hadn't sorted out their own identity enough to realize that the sound "found" on The Holy Bible more adequately showcases?

I guess either side of the coin still leaves me feeling about the same as far as this band is concerned. They can play, they can write, and I don't hate their songs - but this isn't stuff that I'd naturally be called to and is definitely not the sort of album I'd find myself returning to regularly outside of an exercise such as this (in direct opposition to EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of the other '94 albums that I have mentioned). In fact, if I'm completely honest, though I can see why Bible scored points for artistic integrity, I actually think I had more fun listening to Generation in many ways.

CONCLUSION: Though this probably could have just as easily received a sort of neutral Thumbs Down from me, I'm going to allow myself to be shifted ever so slightly into a committed, though still fairly indifferent, Thumbs Up and a Grade of a pretty even C.

Everything Must Go

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Richey Edwards (guitar only on track 12), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Mike Hedges

Recorded at: Real World Studios / England

Released: May 20, 1996

NOTE: You can read more details online, but it should be noted that this was the first album without guitarist Richey Edwards who, suffering from severe depression, disappeared mysteriously. Edwards’ body has never been found and while reports of sightings have surfaced, none have been substantiated. The band would continue to perform live with an extra mic-stand set-up on stage as a tribute. Edwards wrote lyrics for six of Everything’s songs and recorded a rhythm guitar part for the track “No Surface All Feeling.”

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing or Is It Truly Better To Be Late Than Never Arrive?

It is a historical fact - there are those that lead and those that follow.

Think about the amazing way that Jane's Addiction shook things up in the late 80s with their independently-released live debut in '87, followed by their proper 1st studio album, Nothing's Shocking, on Warner Brothers in '88. In one deftly played one-two combo they almost single-handedly turned 80s heavy metal upside down by producing a strikingly original artsy hybrid - at once appealing to metal kids AND alternative kids. Great stuff. What followed (and examples of this can be drawn-up since the birth of '50s rock n' roll) is that several "heavy metal" bands suddenly 'saw the light' and decided to follow suit. In this particular case, Saigon Kick and Enuff Z'Nuff were the two biggest perpetrators. Rarely does this breed of copy-cat ever really get to stake a claim for being anything but a mere shadow to the original and, more than not, these follow-up, banking-on-a-hot-trend bands end up sounding like exactly what they are - late to the party wanna-be's.

In the case with this particular release, MSP isn't fooling me at all.

Has there been a shift of some sort? Have they grown-up a bit and more deftly put together a collection that showcases mature arrangements? Yes - across the board. But add all the harps and horns and strings and acoustic guitars you want - this is still a band that is far more firmly rooted in American hard rock than any sort of British parallel. It's all Cheap Trick through the filter of 80s metal.

In fact, much of the change can be directly accounted for as a simple default. Moving forward as a trio, and without Richey Edwards' particular muscle (let's face it, he brought the metal gusto - all meat & potatoes riffs and guitar-hero solos), one would have to expect some sort of change. Hell, with a few guitar flourishes in "Australia" aside, there isn't one proper guitar solo to be found anywhere on this album.

None of this is really even a criticism. I wouldn't fault Muse for sounding more like Queen than, say, Radiohead. Holding something against a band because of where they draw their influences is ridiculous. What I can hold against a band is using said influences in a way that doesn't sound authentic, but rather, as a sort of co-op - blending to get along. Trying to be something they're not. I have not definitively decided if I think this band is continually reaching to stay afloat in the vast modern/alternative rock market by forcing square pegs into round holes, but they do make me consider this fact on every one of their albums so far.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally saying that is what is going on here and, so far, I'm not faulting the band for any of this. Everything Must Go is my favorite album from MSP thus far. I like the songs and the musical feel that they've adapted throughout. This album is what I classify as "A Contender Release" - my own little sub-classification that I've developed over the years (definitely not air-tight) and works in my mind to define an album by a band that clearly showcases them swinging for the fences. This doesn't always result in a completely positive outcome - and it absolutely doesn't equate to the release being the band's strongest, but it does signify an "A" for effort. 

It certainly delivers what it has to offer in quite efficient ways. Time is yet to show, but I have all but given up on this band ever truly lining-up with the Brit-rock/pop niche I expected them to fall neatly into. What I would LOVE to see is them taking this directional step even further and really staking a claim for a sound that feels authentically as their own. One thing I will say, speaking of Muse, is that for the first time on this album, I did hear ripples that I would have to say reminded me of Muse - who still had 3 years before their debut. This makes sense as, of course, both bands walk a defined line between classic rock bravado and modern rock leanings. But considering MSP's popularity in England, it is easy to imagine their sound filtered through into the foundation of what Muse would build upon. And placing those particular puzzle pieces, however minute, is always interesting.

CONCLUSION: This album easily gets a Thumbs Up from me and a Grade of a B. Thought is absolutely a stronger Thumbs Up than I gave The Holy Bible, this is still a somewhat fleeting Thumbs Up. Meaning that while I really did enjoy listening to this album and sincerely appreciated the more sweeping arrangements, I don't know that I'd necessarily qualify this as a lasting treasure in my library. Would I mind coming across a song here or there in a Playlist mix? Hell no. Would I purposefully track down listening to the whole collection any time soon or highly recommend it to a friend? Probably not.

Bottomline, the band continues to hold my attention and I will be interested to see next steps and what further maturing and self-discovery might bring. Good things I hope.

This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Mike Hedges

Recorded at: Chateau de la Rouge Motte / France

Released: September 14, 1998

As we get older we tend to mellow in different ways. Experience & time fills in some of the gaps that used to allow for the occasional free-fall. It makes sense that this would align with our artistic tastes.

I realized that these guys are pretty much exactly my age (Wire is a few weeks younger, Bradfield a month younger & Moore 6 months older) - meaning they were in the neighborhood of 30 when this album came out. You wouldn't expect them to spit out the same album as a bunch of 24-year-olds (especially a group that had cranked out 4 albums in that time period). By way of comparison, Lennon & McCartney had already written and recorded the entirety of The Beatles' output by this age.

Don't get me wrong - I still feel that same spark when I hear Iron Maiden or Sex Pistols or Rage Against The Machine, but I have to admit that the foundation there is the connection with my more youthful self. I can still have those ‘roll down the windows and crank the volume’ moments with new music, but again this certainly has more to do with some sort of Peter Pan effect than anything else.

I do find, as I get older, that I more greatly appreciate, especially in music, sounds that feel more lived in - complex or not. For instance, though I came to the rewarding digestion of an iconic band like Swans at a relatively later age, I honestly don't know that the 20-something version of myself would have necessarily so completely warmed to some of Gira's more challenging material. On the flip side of the same coin, I would have likely been quick to more readily dismiss music that felt too sedated or "simple."

These days my ear has become sophisticated enough to have patience in working through more complex pieces. But I am also perfectly satisfied with a well constructed, solid sounding song. I don't always need to have bells and whistles. 

Considering this, it should come as no surprise that This Is My Truth is my favorite MSP album thus far. I find pretty much every aspect of it completely appealing. No, it doesn't really explode with fireworks or shock with out-of-the-blue moments, but damn if it isn't just a great collection of well-written & arranged tracks. I can imagine that for many of these same reasons this might have seemed (perhaps especially at the time) as a complete surrender to more common expectations and listener-friendly fare, but I kind of feel like I'm finally coming to understand who this band truly is. It probably doesn't hurt that, finally, this sounds WAY MORE like the band I was expecting from the get-go.

"If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next" is, by far, the best song they have put to tape - just fantastic. I can't listen to it enough. The gravy is that it is surrounded by a nest of really strong support. 

Some basic production/arrangement things have to be addressed. Whereas I pointed out the lack of guitar solos on Everything, this album replaces, quite thoughtfully, those gaps with some really lush and fitting guitar flourishes - well placed accents and soaring decorations. The use of strings throughout feels equally natural in the setting and brings another layer of firm foundation to the proceedings. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this album also stands as the first to feature drum machines on any of the band’s releases - an addition that is placed here & there with enough precision to not upset anything.

The whole affair definitely works along at a more practiced pace and yes, the second half of the album sounds even more restrained and "mellow" than the first (with the exception of "Nobody Loved You" - which was probably the album's low-point), but I really like the flow and found that it created a very satisfying listen from beginning to end. In fact, some of those less flashy numbers really hit the spot. "The Everlasting", "My Little Empire" and "Black Dog On My Shoulder" are all right at the top of the heap for me.

As I listened to this album repeatedly and lapped up its many offerings, I also felt that the band hadn't completely abandoned their former selves. Still plenty of ‘Klaus’ singing to be found if one were so inclined to listen. And even if they took the foot off the distortion with all but a few exceptions (used in fine-fashion on the really outstanding "You Stole The Sun From My Heart"), it was far less offensive than, for instance, when Cheap Trick sold their souls on their "comeback" with the single "The Flame.''

To add a little time framework. - it is kind of hard to imagine any band even slightly flirting with this sort of sound without using U2's Actung, Baby as the milestone they would all set their compasses to - as that albums sets such an insurmountable peak in establishing an indisputable blueprint for any ‘adult rock’ to follow. Additionally, right out of the gate, much of this album brought thoughts of The Verve's hugely popular '97 release Urban Hymns and though the timing would have been tight, it is conceivable that MSP used that band's sound as the push they may have needed to commit to exploring this more unified territory.

On the other hand, there is much on this album that sets the way for a lot of more known (more commercially popular) music - including yet to come releases by Coldplay, Starsailor, Travis, Snow Patrol and Elbow. In other words, these guys definitely make a case for being leaders (or at least in the leaders group) for some of the most popular rock of this particular niche to come.

It should all be noted that by this point, both Oasis and Blur were well on their way to declining and were no longer delivering output that would stand to inform or influence further.

So here these guys stand - on the edge of a more set and patterned continuation or the beginning of the end, depending how you look at it. I'm voting for the former. Armed with the simple knowledge that they have another 20 years of albums in them, hard not to pull for them, whatever your particular personal interests.

CONCLUSION: This one keeps the Thumbs Up coming and earns a Grade of B+.

Know Your Enemy

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Mike Hedges, Dave Eringa

Recorded at: El Cortijo / Spain, Abbey Road / England

Released: March 19, 2001

It is safe to say that this album was a bit of a surprise after the way they totally stuck the landing of This Is My Truth. Compared side-by-side to the winning fortified structure of the last album, this could certainly be seen as a randomly gathered collection - or (as I have come to view it) a more adventurous attempt at exploring all the various influences and interests of a pretty sound pop/rock alt band. 

My initial take was one of distraction and disappointment, but maybe that was just because certain expectations had been laid in the wake of them finally coming around to hitting the mark of what I was assuming they would nail all along right out of the gate.

The truth is, Know Your Enemy is a pretty solid collection. It might not, especially upon first listen, seem to equal the smoothed out sound they had achieved previously, but the songs don't suck and they approach them with enough heart and commitment that I find it hard to chip away too much. 

The straight-forward (and much less processed) sound found in the opening "Found That Soul" and throughout - "Intravenous Agnostic", "Dead Martyrs" (a really fun rave-up rocker), "Baby Elian" (not ground-breaking, but sharp little tune with a really nice chorus), & "We Are All Bourgeois Now" (which totally reminded me - in good ways - of Squeeze and, besides, who doesn't love a hidden track??) - all deliver on the punk roots that existed before, but seemed to be overshadowed by metal licks provided by Edwards' guitar. In his absence (and the removal of those more defined metal flourishes), the band seems to be able to handle both more fluid and aggressive approaches reasonably balanced - and, usually, pretty satisfyingly. 

To that point, many of the songs (arguably some of the strongest tracks in my opinion) do continue the steps they made in maturing their sound. I found "Ocean Spray" (I really love this song and though it is super simple, really dig the trumpet solo) & "Let Robeson Sing" in particular to really win in this way.

And, perhaps even better, were some of the songs that strayed a bit from their more expected sound (or what has been delivered this far). Tracks like "Why So Sad?" (which lifted really convincingly from Beach Boys to Brill Building/Phil Spector arrangements), "The Year of Purification" (REM, anyone?), "Royal Correspondent" (shades of the Cure, especially towards the end), & "Epicentre" (an almost Beatles shine to it - complete with a good-old-fashioned false ending). Each of these really work and offer nice textures to the album - definitely more varied than Truth - and while maybe not as thoroughly strong as that album, Know ends up pleasing in most places.

There are absolutely some mis-steps, but really more of the flatline nature - nothing overly grievous.. "Wattsville Blues" and "My Guernica" are both strong candidates for these faults. They just never really go anywhere exciting and end up sounding like filler in the mix.

CONCLUSION: I'm definitely going to give this one a Thumbs Up and a Grade of C+ and I’m happy that I stuck it out and didn't write it off too quickly before break. The extra listens really helped it deliver its case.

Lifeblood

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Tony Visconti

Recorded at: Stir Studios / Wales, Looking Glass Studios / New York

Released: November 1, 2004

OK - I'm not even going to guess at this - I am going to confidently declare that Lifeblood is the album I bet most had wished as a follow-up to Truth instead of Enemy. I don't blame you. It is a sharper collection at every turn. Back are the strong songs, winning production, effective instrumental layering, confident flow. What's not to like?  Hell, "A Song For Departure" is damn near as good of a standout track as "If You Tolerate This...".

I like it too - a lot!

That said, I do want to, briefly, explore something - call it a natural curiosities - before touching on a few album specifics.

As much as this album appeals to me there is a fork in the road that I'd be interested to get your takes on. Call it the "tiger & his tail syndrome".

Right out of the gate with "1985" I was overwhelmingly reminded (beyond the similar song title) of Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" (which came out almost a full decade before). Throughout the album - truly at pretty much every turn - I felt myself being reminded of other bands more than any previous MSP album. In cases like Smashing Pumpkins, The Church, Coldplay, etc. - these are all bands that MSP have obviously co-oped to a degree - especially considering the fairly dramatic changes in sound MSP have made from their early metal-influenced albums to this quite standard adult contemporary/alt pop/rock.

On the other hand, there are a fair number of post-MSP acts that have pulled influences from them. Keane is the standout here - damn, nearly half of Lifeblood could be, if one weren't intimately familiar with the songs, easily mistaken as Keane tracks. Degrees of Snow Patrol, Starsailor, Aqualung, etc. are all in the blender.

I guess my point (or point of wonder) is how you measure the "likability" of acts based on where they fall in-line with the way they have been influenced (or do, in return, influence)? Can you (because, usually, I cannot) completely & fairly judge an act based on the singular experience of listening to a particular collection - or, inversely, what weight does the ‘bigger picture of musical history/hierarchy’ play in the way you process artistic interaction?

There is, of course, no right or wrong answer - and this is not an attempt to demand that - just something I'd be interested in exploring. Is it as simple as just not worrying about the ingredients and just being able to admit - wow, that was some pretty tasty pie? Maybe. Or, if not, maybe it should be. I mean, I do like pie.

I have to admit that I just really am in a very comfortable groove with MSP right now. This latest album represents a pretty consistent four-strong album run for MSP. 

This band, like so many musical artists that I thoroughly enjoy, aren't breaking down barriers or turning things on its head, but they are what they are - extremely competent craftsmen delivering up palatable, charming & wholly solid music. This album, pretty much from start to finish, delivers its contents like a favorite old jacket delivers comfort & warmth. It won't necessarily turn heads, but it does the job in a very reliable & efficient way.

As stated, I think the track "A Song For Departure" is an absolute winner. Almost equally enjoyable are the other standouts - "1985", "Empty Souls", "Glasnost", & "Fragments". However, I really enjoyed the album as a whole and didn't ever find myself wanting to ever skip over tracks.

It feels like it would be remiss not to mention the guitar work throughout - even though Wikipedia states that this is a move away from the band's more guitar driven sound. Though heavily processed (and taking lots of cues from The Edge and Marty Wilson-Piper from The Church), I think this album represents some of the finest playing by Bradfield to date - definitely the most effective in providing some really nice texture to the songs.

Truth is, and this is just being really picky, the only concrete negative I can comment on is the lyrical content/message of "The Love Of Richard Nixon". While the song is musically extremely strong (and actually, as it features no guitar work at all - or at least it doesn't sound like it does - it does represent the biggest departure from MSP's normal musical landscape) - I had to take some time to look-up what was behind the lyrics. 

In a nutshell (and you can read more details on Wikipedia) they said the lyrics were built around the idea that in their musical universe they had always felt like Nikon as compared to Radiohead's Kennedy. That is pretty much a quote from lyricist Wire. That sounds like some pretty sour grapes to me and, I have to say, I think they are really barking up the wrong tree there. Radiohead had already released the seminal The Bends and OK Computer before MSP even got around to Truth. I like MSP and all, but someone would have to come up with some pretty fancy-footwork in convincing me that those two bands are on the same playing field.

That, to me, is like Duran Duran bitching that they aren't as respected as U2 even though they have been existing on, pretty much, the same musical timeline. Or The Animals doing the same with The Beatles. No sense in losing yourself playing tit-for-tat. Do what you do - which, for the most part to date is just fine, but don't get lost in the comparison game or, worse yet, the way fans and/or critics might take a different shine to competing peer acts - especially ones that are clearly so much more defined in creating a truly groundbreaking and original sound.

But that's me getting off on a tangent and, as I sad, just being picky. Absolutely nothing I would actually ding this particular collection for.

CONCLUSION: Right on the heels of Truth, Lifeblood is the band's most convincingly consistent album to date and establishes what I expect (and truly hope) is a place the band can feel comfortable remaining. Sure, the world of music would be in trouble if we didn't have the heavy-hitters like The Beatles or U2 or Radiohead to forge exciting new musical territory, but it also wouldn't be quite as enjoyable if there weren't the Duran Durans and MSPs to hammer away in providing classy and well crafted pop tunes. Lifeblood earns, exceedingly so, a strong Thumbs Up and a Grade of a solid B.

Send Away The Tigers

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Dave Eringa

Recorded at: Grouse Lodge Studios / Ireland

Released: May 7, 2007

It is becoming increasingly obvious to me why MSP never really connected commercially with a United States audience. Put plainly, they just make it a little too hard to get a full handle on their sound. Let's be honest, it's a job keeping up. From 80s metal, to Cheap Trick power-pop, to the pitch-perfect classy alternative adult pop/rock of Truth, to punk-ish abandon, and then back with the more leveled Lifeblood. All of this followed by Tigers, which while a pretty decent album, just ends up being frustrating a bit in terms of it dodging the continuation of the more textured Truth/Lifeblood sound - which probably would have seemed the best move.

I think what I have felt about MSP since their first album is that they are a solid band that is churning out solid songs. I like them. The one little catch in all this is that they haven't, not once, hit on a sound that seemed completely original or that I could point at to define "their sound." And so, while I am liking what I'm listening to, it has been a lot of been-there done-that. What is kind of singularly interesting is that this sort of comment would normally be leveled at a band that just isn't doing it for me, but somehow, MSP are managing to walk the positive side of that line to my particular ear - at this particular moment. They aren't bucking trends or staking claims, but I have ended up staying interested.

On Tigers, specifically, it sounds like they were going for a bigger, more sweeping sound. And while I don't think they failed - again, I enjoyed listening to this collection - I did find myself wondering quite a bit about some of the musical choices.

With the opening title track we seem to be given the Oasis/Blur moment we were all expecting right out of the gate. It's a solid song, but why now, ten years after Oasis released their last decent album? It is hard not to feel like MSP is, at least, a few steps behind.

Up next is "Welcome To The Dead Zone" which, note for note (especially vocally), sounds like it was mined directly from Manchester's great band James. Again, almost 10 years after that band's most solid and popular releases.

Tons of other influences beyond Oasis & Blur bounce through this collection. I hear Pumpkins in "The Second Great Depression", big chunks of Muse (filtering their take on Queen's sound) on "Rendition" and, especially, "Autumnsong.” And we get a bit more of The Verve's sound on "I'm Just A Patsy" 

As I've said before, these are all bands and sounds I like - so I don't have any major negative take-aways. However, it just all feels like I should be questioning it, even as I listened away. And listen I did! I'd go so far to say that even when compared to the absolutely (almost) perfect Truth & Lifeblood, I think I actually ended up listening to this album more than any other MSP release yet - with many of the songs really getting lodged in my brain. Weirdly, I'm chalking this up to the fact that the combo of sounds pulled together are all so familiar to me.

Thinking about it a lot and returning to the songs over & over, I realized that this band just made a conscious decision to root this album, underneath it all, in that Cheap Trick/80s metal foundation that they started off emulating with such dedication. You really don't have to look any further than songs like "Indian Summer", "Winterlovers", & "Your Love Is Not Alone" to hear those familiar musical cliches. The latter song being a really crazy hybrid of everything from early-Beatles back-beat to classic-alternative-guitar-driven-rock to Cheap Trick precision to all that 2nd-tier wave of 80s hair metal, bands like White Lion. It's all there - and with the interesting mix of female vocals to boot.

"Imperial Bodybag" was another oddity. ‘Guys, did we write a rockabilly-influenced take on Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone"?’ - ‘No? Then get on that shit!’ - seriously, listen to the chorus and then play "TZ" and tell me you don't hear crazy melody similarities floating around.

To me the huge mis-step was the Lennon cover. I hold this song in super high esteem, but it just has been covered too much - including the popular Green Day version - and I just haven't liked any of them - with the possible exception of the take that David Bowie's Tin Machine did.

Adding some distortion and a pinch of their own take of angst seemed like a rookie mistake. It didn't add anything to the overall flow, didn't make a grand closing-statement, and really ended up just feeling out of place. 

CONCLUSION: Despite some faults, I'm absolutely going to give Tigers a Thumbs Up and a Grade of a low B-. I can't help it. Even though I probably would have preferred that they stay on track a bit more with their Truth & Lifeblood sound, this ended up being an album I liked quite a bit and I definitely do have to hand it to them, they haven't made it boring - even if they have been a tad obvious here & there.

I don't know exactly what these guys are chasing - a true musical muse or the stadium-sized stardom so many of the acts they connect with have reached - but it almost doesn't matter at this point. In the end, I'm digging the music and that is as much as I can ask of any act.

Journal For Plague Lovers

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Steve Albini

Recorded at: Rockfield Studios / Wales

Released: May 18, 2009

Though it was probably just a snippet they pulled from the film The Machinist because it sounded cool, or because they related the downward spiral the lead character in the film takes to the same struggle their own Richey went through - I found it very fitting that there is a mention of turning into a werewolf, as the analogy seems pretty clear one. Manic Street Preachers as the being that can't control or hold at bay the monster that is hiding inside - being pulled forth by a full moon - or, in this case, a specific producer. Always being unsure of your true identity and never being able to fully count on what will happen when you turn. Sounds like the perfect explanation of what this band has benefited and suffered from at the exact same time since the beginning.

In their defense, you don't bring in Steve Albini (the dude responsible for producing classic albums by Nirvana, Pixies, and yes, he even worked with Cheap Trick) unless you are after a certain sound. And on that front, I guess they didn't fail. The "rock" songs have plenty of muscle, are well arranged and are, mostly, free from obvious clunkers. However, there is much found here that could be labeled ‘pedestrian.’ There just doesn't feel to be much significance throughout. Even worse, I found quite a few of the songs blurring with earlier MSP work. Oddly not necessarily expanding on a sound that they can claim, but rather just re-hashing it in not very exciting ways.

It isn't all bad news. I dig the stutter-stop-stutter breaks in the opening "Peeled Apples" (was I the only one, out of nowhere, who heard nothing but Billy Squier in the vocals on this one?), the string additions to "This Joke Sport Severed", the mid-tempo stroll of "Doors Closing Slowly" & the REMish workout of "Virginia State Epileptic Colony" all play very well and are perfectly adequate songs.

What I found the most intriguing were the two acoustic-based numbers - the simply beautiful ballet of "Facing Page: Top Left" and the Lou Reed hum of closer "William's Last Words" (which also left me wishing Wire had shared the lead vocals a bit more as I found his styling pretty interesting and quite authentic in that particular musical setting). This probably ended up being my favorite (most original) track on the album.

To me though, the big opportunity missed was that if they were going to dust-off lyrics from Richey, they really should have gone for an epic album - a bigger or more pronounced sound. This is a dude who the band has set-up a microphone stand for at every gig since his disappearance. It just seemed that they could have (should have) really stretched out more - get a little experimental and adventurous. Take some risks. Instead, we get a fairly typical offering and this album certainly doesn't end up standing out as anything special or unique. In fact, the opposite - it just kind of fades into the background.

So I'm left teetering on a very make-shift fence between offering a weak Thumbs Up just because I've come to like this band and can still find some good (an even exceptional in the two acoustic numbers) within OR I do I let the mediocrity of the collection drag everything down just enough to earn an indifferent Thumbs Down.

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm giving a "last warning" Thumbs Up and a Grade of a very average C. One more collection that contains packaging over substance won't swing the same way again. Manic Street Preachers - you have been notified!

Postcards From A Young Man

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Dave Eringa, MSP

Recorded at: Faster Studios / Wales

Released: September 20, 2010

I have to say, reading that they were actively trying to emulate Aerosmith's Pump on this album (plus Wire's statement that they were going for a 'Van Halen meets Motown' sound) - on top of very upfront confession that they were after "big radio hits", I was worried for what might be coming.

In the end, as with many of the collections in MSP's discography, the results are a double-edged sword. The guys do sound like they are having a good time - and that counts for a lot! A huge lift from the understated heaviness of Journal for sure! And I will add that, perhaps, more than any other MSP album, this one really grew leaps with me as I listened to it multiple times - something I definitely didn't mind doing at all.

I believe I can admit to myself that, as far as this band is concerned, I simply prefer the sound of Truth & Lifeblood the most. And furthermore, I can separate that realization from judging too harshly albums of theirs, like Postcards, that don't fit into that particular niche.

If they were after a big mainstream-sounding album, it seems that is what they delivered. Of course, considering how it was completely impossible to escape the singles "Love In An Elevator" and "Janie's Got A Gun" from Pump, it would have to be seen as somewhat of a failure (at least in the US) that the album didn't return huge singles or even end up on the same radar as career-peak releases from that same year - Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, Vampire Weekend's Contra, or LCD Soundsystem's This Is Happening - among others. I think it gets chalked up to the point I made last review, that they have just made it too tricky for US audiences to really get a handle on their sound and, therefore, didn't have the base to allow this album to stand on.

Desperately hoping I wouldn't truly be getting a Manic-ified Pump, I was very pleasantly surprised. But, I also found that some of my interest/critiques of the band, post-Lifeblood, remain.

Let's start with the positive. I absolutely love the addition of live strings. Right from the sweep at the top of opener "(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love" their presence marks a really nice layer of texture to a track that would be significantly less interesting/unique without their lushness. Throughout the album, what they bring to the songs can't be overstated. I guess, if one were inclined to be picky, you could say that they border on being slightly over-used, but they never crossed that line for me.

I also found the bones of the songs very strong - in addition to the strong opener, "A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun" and, especially, "Hazelton Avenue"  (what a fantastic song - simple, but super effective!!) were big standouts to me. Add to that, hardly any of the songs prompted me to completely pass it by after a listen or two. I also really liked a few of the places where they changed-up the instrumentation a bit, like the mandolin addition to "I Think I Found It" or the trumpet to "The Future Has Been Here 4ever" - even if that song isn't super compelling in it's pseudo-Stones-meets-Replacements framework. The choir work on this one came the closest to encroaching being annoying. A simple single-voice harmony would have served the song much better.

Speaking of choir work - I was not a big fan of the uses of their "gospel choir" as it just felt a bit too 'All we needed to know about gospel music we learned from Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is"'. Perhaps if they hadn't loaded it on quite so thickly that would have escaped criticism from me.

Of course, it wouldn't be a MSP album without all the comparisons - the absolute lift of Queen's "Somebody To Love" choir refrain towards the end of "Some Kind Of Nothingness" felt about as cliched and predictable as you can get. And it is impossible to miss the many varied Beatles-through-the-filter-of-modern-British-pop nuances found throughout (maybe most prevalent on "The Descent" & "Golden Platitudes"). And absolutely LOTS of classic 70s rock sounds all through this - in addition to Queen, I heard notes of ELO, Bowie, & Cheap Trick (of course) - among others.

I could certainly ask the question again about whether or not we are truly getting the real MSP or the version of themselves that they think will ultimately reach the widest possible audience. At least they feel like they do so without selling their souls.

And let's be honest - some really great bands have had their sell-out moments. Since we've talked multiple times about similarities MSP have picked up from Cheap Trick, I'll speak to the laters very obvious (and successful) ploy to return to the spotlight with their Chicago-lite single "The Flame" (which wasn't even penned by them!!). Rick Neilson is especially noted as speaking to how that was a VERY tough learning experience for himself as an artist. I could probably say it felt a bit like that from time to time on this album - the choir, the achingly big rock sound, the not-really-necessary guest stars - but at least they wrote everything themselves - and who the fuck am I to say this is a record that, at its heart, isn't true to who these guys are as musicians and artists? In fact, I feel this so strongly that I almost wish I could take back a little of the slagging I gave Journal.

CONCLUSION: This one, though it doesn't completely heed the warning I issued in my review of their last album, will get another Thumbs Up and a Grade of a waning C from me. I think where I turned the corner is a simple base-decision to accept MSP just as they are. Even on the heightened level of Truth & Lifeblood - when I was much more locked into their sound and was feeling they were at their best - they still weren't ever a band I expected ground-breaking songs from. Solid is what they do - and fuck if they don't do it extremely well. These songs might not carry the strength to warrant a lasting musical relationship, but they do hit the spot of the moment squarely on the chin. 

Rewind The Film

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Alex Silva, MSP

Recorded at: Faster Studios / Wales

Released: September 16, 2013

Melancholy, quiet music easily makes up over half of my overall music library. Plus, I always applauded artists when they layered soul-baring intimate collections next to huge commercial releases. Springsteen following Nebraska with Born In The USA is maybe the most epic example.

So, on paper, this album should be a nice interlude from the arena-sized rock that MSP have been turning out, especially of late. That said, it definitely took me some time to adjust my ear and shift everything I thought I knew about this band. This album seemed to be a completely different animal, but as I dedicated more time and allowed myself to become familiar with these textures I believe the band may have been after, I really came to appreciate the majority of this album. And though I could certainly understand the argument that this is a bit of soundscape mash-up, I ended up finding the flow and overall feeling to be pretty cohesive and workable.

Highlights for me were the total 60s throwbacks of "Show Me The Wonder", "Builder Of Routines" & "30-Year War" (which I thought did an especially nice job of creating a very interesting hybrid of old & new).

I was also a huge fan of the guest vocalists. The girls were absolutely fantastic, but I actually think what Hawley's voice brought to "Rewind The Film" may have made that my favorite song on the album (really tremendous instrumentation on that one too). So much so, that it almost worked contrary - leaving some of the quieter numbers with Bradfield's & Wire's vocals feeling not as quite fleshed out or singular.

Totally dug the instrumental soundtrack qualities of "Manorbier" and actually wished this was something MSP would explore more. Throughout, the arrangements were extremely strong - incorporating horns & strings very precisely and thus, escaping the borderline over-play that happened on Postcards. 

I absolutely loved hearing that "3 Ways To See Despair" had Morrissey in mind originally. Would've loved to hear that! - and I can totally imagine his voice & delivery really elevating that track - though I do like the MSP version.

I will say, even though it only surfaces here & there, there is a sing-songy element to a few of the tracks that for some reason turned me off a bit - specifically in "This Sullen Welsh Heart", "Tokyo Skyline", & "As Holy As The Soil". What's weird is that the songs don't suck. Actually, each of those have some REALLY great elements - so maybe I'm just being picky - or maybe there was some sort of too-predictable-metronome at work in those songs for me to ever get over it completely, even if I ended up digging the various textures involved.

Knowing that they very intentionally approached this particular collection with a more rock-based sister-release in mind, I wonder if a typical conversation I sometimes trip up on - regarding whether a band would have been wiser to just choose the very best songs from each of the two albums to make one super strong album - will rear its head? I'll throw in a pre-emptive, I think (without yet having a clue what Futurology sounds like), that sister-album or not, this release stands firmly on its own two legs and I definitely don't find enough to pick at to come anywhere close to needing to end up salvaging this fine collection for parts.

CONCLUSION: An easy Thumbs Up and a Grade of a very high C+. At 11 albums in, this collection - though not necessarily my overall favorite from the band - definitely makes the strongest case in the band's defense of not just/only being shaped by outside albums & sounds. Yeah, I could probably pick apart those specifics, but I might counter that this is the truest version of this band as an original entity that I have yet received - even if it is far from what I expected.

I will never mind being kept guessing. I'd much rather guess than be lulled into complacency and predictability.

Futurology

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass) 

Produced by: Alex Silva, MSP

Recorded at: Faster Studios / Wales

Released: July 7, 2014

Two full listens in and I was sure this album would be a hardcore victim of MSP fatigue. I just wasn't loving the songs (or overall sound) and was definitely feeling that I just couldn't take yet another hard right in the band's ever swaying zig-zag of a musical career.

But dammit if a little perseverance didn't play to the band's favor once again. Given a bit more time, the album got under my skin and I have to admit that I've come around on my final opinion of this collection.

In its best spots, there are some very enjoyable and well-crafted tracks. Truly the calling card of what I've come to expect from this band. I continue to not hear anything that blows me away or that even vaguely sets truly unique tones, but there is enough solid work at play to hold my attention - mostly.

I think both the title track and "The Next Jet To Leave Moscow" are really fantastic. Add to that - I also dig that they, in overall sound, serve as a real precursor for the wider pop sound that Mumford & Sons went after on their 2015 release Wilder Mind. It isn't to say that there have been no opportunities to credit MSP with possibly serving as an influence on other bands, but this one seems pretty pronounced as those songs really lay down a foundation that is completely recognizable in the M&S album - especially "The Next Jet...".

I also enjoyed "Europa...". Was I the only one to pick-up on the very obvious (almost complete) lift of Goldfrapp's "Train" from Black Cherry? Seriously, play the beginning of those tracks back-to-back and tell me I'm wrong.

And as if they knew they had struck a chord with the instrumental "Manorbier" from Rewind The Film, they really upped the ante with the two instrumentals here. I really liked both of them (though I thought The Beatles' 'blisters" quote kicking off "Mayakovsky" seemed a bit amateurish), but boy, I felt "Dreaming a City" was pretty damn amazing. It hit a really centered sweet spot with a lot of the late 70s/early 80s synth soundtrack music that I have been giving a side-listen to recently. And, in another precursor move, it definitely laid down some material that would be easy to imagine Muse drawing from for their 80’s opus, Simulation Theory - released a couple years ago. The same could be said for the interesting vibe of "Misguided Missile".

I will counter by saying that unlike on earlier albums where some songs just struck me less, this album had a few true clunkers - tracks that I had quite a hard time stomaching and which I grew to avoid in continued listening - or at least they always caught my ear as annoying & second rate. "Let's Go To War" and "Sex, Power, Love & Money" were the worst offenders. The later track really confused me - it sounded like a throw-away tune from Duran Duran's misguided Arcadia phase. And I say that even being fully aware that the band was obviously working to channel particular sounds. They just didn't work - worse, they annoyed me.

I appreciated the duet aspect of "Divine Youth" and, in fact, think it's a pretty cool song, but I guess I was just left feeling like it might have worked better in a different setting - but that is definitely a picky, not completely detrimental critique. 

CONCLUSION: In the end - the few mis-steps aside - I'm left with a listening experience that worked its way under my skin and ultimately won me over. Hard to give that anything but a Thumbs Up and a Grade of a solid enough C.

Resistance Is Futile

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass) 

Produced by: Dave Eringa

Recorded at: Faster Studios / Wales

Released: April 13, 2018

Resistance encapsulates the MSP sound that pretty much best sums up the band - especially since their more defined heavy metal foray.

I like this album - quite a bit. In line with many of their releases, it doesn't break new musical ground, but it delivers on the same strong craftsmanship & solid performance chops that the band has developed so completely over the years. I'll maintain that Truth still holds a special place as my favorite collection of theirs up until now, but this release is certainly as strong as their last few albums (if not stronger). Interestingly, as we discussed the side-note of U2's later releases, I could pretty easily make comparisons in regard to MSP settling into a similar comfortable (dare I say predictable?) groove that plays to strengths and a certain maturity that makes up for new revelations in its tasteful composition.

Unlike Futurology, I am glad to say that I didn't find any tracks that rubbed me the wrong way. In fact, I found the combination of the included songs - the various nuances and musical stylings - to work in pretty seamless harmony. The live strings are fantastic and really shine in the places they surface, the female vocals lend a real high-level on "Dylan & Caitlin", & there are lots of big epic rock songs - it keeps things moving and entertaining simultaneously.

And whereas the second half of some MSP albums have presented weaker contents, this album leaves, perhaps, the two biggest/strongest songs ("Hold Me Like A Heaven" and "Broken Algorithms") for this spot.

Sure, the boys borrow tons of flavoring and production from an array of artists and sounds, but this is old news as far as this band is concerned and I actually found myself doing quite a bit less comparing as I listened to these songs. The different influences are there, but the band seems to very completely own them as their property.

I totally dig to hear that with the release of this album, MSP were asked to play support to the 2018 Guns & Roses summer European tour. Considering the maintained level of high-notoriety abroad, this makes perfect sense to me.

CONCLUSION: Completely happy to offer this album another Thumbs Up and a Grade of a high C.

The Ultra Vivid Lament

Personnel: James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitars), Sean Moore (drums, percussion, vocals), Nicky Wire (bass)

Produced by: Dave Eringa

Recorded at: Faster Studios / Wales

Released: September 10, 2021

Like my Full Discography Deep Dive of Porcupine Tree, I finished the musical journey only to have another album come out a few months after I initially completed it. 

For over 2 decades, MSP have honored the best traditions of British modern rock without reaching the commercial success in the U.S. that others have. However, outlasting so many of their early contemporaries, while still releasing relevant & bonafide top-rate material, is more than a small victory. 

I find The Ultra Vivid Lament to be a hallmark release - a slick calling card of the band’s earned sound. These tracks benefit from a sharp production sheen and seem instantly familiar without feeling recycled.

There are some of the strongest hooks, great musical textures, interesting vocal work (including the fantastic duet with Julia Cumming on “The Secret He Had Missed”) - one of the collection's strongest tracks - and plenty of 

This album also hit a very personal spot for me in just landing at the exact right time. One of those rare moments when music doesn’t necessarily surprise or overwhelm you, but manages to connect as if it shares DNA.

CONCLUSION: I absolutely fell in love with this album and felt extremely confident to select it as one of my Top Ten releases for 2021. Thumbs Up for days and a Grade of A, my first for the band - and so well-deserved.