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Ok. So I've listened to it once on my travels today. Here are my first reactions:
People Give In - Sounds fantastic on the verses. But they had to go orchestral on the choruses? Also Jimbo's vocals a bit lost in the mix? Still, an interesting starter. (Although veers too close to PFAYM production for me).
International Blue - Heads and shoulders above other songs on the album. This came late, but thank goodness it did.
Distant Colours - Gorgeous, even more so within context of album.
Vivian - Bloody awful for me. Again, interesting verses and then a weird guitar sound on chorus. Not one of my favourites.
Dylan and Caitlin - Bit overproduced for my liking. (Again bloody strings). The Anchoress' mouthing of "America" in her second go round is the sexiest moment on the album.
Liverpool Revisited - Ok. Jimbo's stutter/repeat in the chorus is probably the only ear catching thing in it. Again, would have been better as a more subtle song? (Did I mention Eringa and Jimbo's production/love of strings?)
Sequels of Forgotten Wars - This is where the album starts to save itself from PFAYM era production and songwriting. Fantastic guitar ideas and sounds. Solid enough lyric.
Hold Me Like a Heaven - Love the 80s sound on this one. The album is now sounding more interesting to me.
In Eternity - Pretty catchy. I have perked up at this point.
Broken Algorithms - This is prob my fav listen first time round. A lot going on here. A more sophisticated Intravenous Agnostic. I have a weakness for Jimbo spelling out words in songs and the b-r-o-k-e-n gets me here.
A Song For The Sadness - Yeah, an ok song. I actually can't remember too much about it.
The Left Behind - Really? Why? In the running with Don't be Evil for being the worst Manics album track of all time, never mind worst final track on an album.
All in all it is 3 star album. Better than PFAYM (thankfully as that was my worry with these "no concept" Manics albums) and less patchy than RTF and Futurology, but still just ok. Looking forward to listening to it more and listening to it properly once released. Don't know if it's enough for me to go and see them in London. I thought the album might have pushed me towards going, but it didn't blow me away. There are only so many times a person can hear You Stole the Sun in their lifetime.
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