New Album and Tour: Resistance is Futile

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by UEF

My error, a whole 8 copies of the album confirmed after looking again

Copies 9&10 (white vinyl + accompanying CD) on the way.

I need to stop enabling this.

When they get to No.1 I hope they turn up on your door with hugs and chocolates.

[roi]

On first listen, it’s much more 80s sounding overall than I expected. The sequencing of tracks does remind me of KYE a bit, with the poppier songs in the first half and the more rock ones in the second. Not sold on People Give In and Vivian, but it’s entirely the kind of album where that could change on repeated listens.

[Lee]

Yep, it’s got a lovely 80s feel to it.

Think I’ve had this album for three weeks now. Obviously today is the first day that I’ve had it proper. After numerous favourite songs I think I’ve settled on A Song For The Sadness.

Might change soon though. Apart from Vivian and the last song they’re all belters. Love it.

[everlasting]

Well, I think I've found my go-to track now, it's Hold Me Like A Heaven, playing it as I type for the 3rd time on repeat. I can't stop singing the chorus, love the wooaaahhs in there. This HAS to be a single, given some good TV and radio plugs it could become a hit for them I feel, a huge singalong at gigs!

[deadmartyr]

Originally Posted by Lee

The deluxe booklet is interesting.

I guess everyone else has the dirty prints, circled words and crossed-out lines in theirs?!

After picking up the only copy without a bent spine in HMV today I was a bit worried when I opened the first page of the deluxe copy.


I've deliberately avoided reading much about the album and had only heard International Blue and Distant Colours prior to today, wanting to keep the first album listen fresh, so I was surprised at some of the pop elements on the album

Sequels of Forgotten Wars and In Eternity are probably my favourites from the first listen through.

[Son of Stopped]

Fucking hell! People Give In is amazing! Worth it alone for that.
This is first time I've heard it as leaks won't play on my Tablet with my limited technology.
People Move On is the closest they've come to The Beatles.
I am playing it on my PS3 as stereo fucked! Startled by the sudden cross-fade into IB.
It can't be a PS3 only thing as it plays other albums with a gap.
Maybe it's the closest to the split screen of A New Hope between space and desert. Go of to write a sentence during a guitar solo.
No, one after each other seems to be the order of the day. Distant Colours.
On the video and radio I can't hear (unless I'm hallucinating or mistaken) I can't hear this faint "craoown craoown" deep pulse that I probably won't hear on subsequent listens. Like the master of Distant Colours has been recorded over other songs?
Vivian now. I can hear Royal Correspondent in the verse and On Friday Morning We Will Rule The World or whatever it's called.
So far enjoyable but most Pop album they've done... In an aged when pop is Due Lips Dua Lipa thing my mate is into but I can't enjoy due to the Arabian rip offs. Well Vivian wore off and didn't notice ending.
Dylan And Caitlin would probably sound better on what is left of my stereo than TV speakers as I can't hear Nicky or much bass despite Movie, Personal, Music settings. Dylan And Caitlin has a beautiful orchestral bit. Much better than PFYAM and while new album glue holds I think I will reach for this album more than Send Away The Tigers.
Liverpool Revisted began doing that last sentence.
Sequels Of Forgotten Wars. How different the mood if this was the start? Imagine if this was the first single? Is that cowbell? This is the closest the Manics get to Rush's Red Barchetta? Probably sound great live and not TV tinny. Fucking hell this is as great as People Give In!
Hold Me Like A Heaven. Disco NSAF verse. Most Pop chorus they've ever done. More space between lyrics as opposed to edited one after each other on Futurology. Oh I want to marry the piano in the chorus of this. This is the most unmanics song I've heard and I'd likes bit more of it. Good sequencing between this and Sequels Of Forgotten Wars.
In Eternity. The most 80's the Manics have ever sounded. Would never make a good single. Guitar is very Sweet Valley High 80's Teen Drama Series. That guitarist... It's... Argh! Gone, but liked it.
Broken Algorithms. The most 80's Metal the Manics get. I'll take an album full of it's guitar riff please! Sean fantastic. Is this the best Sean has ever drummed on an album? I can see where GT was mentioned by reviewers. Great ending.
A Song For The Sadness the cross-fade works best on this one. A lot more up than I thought it was. Solitude Sometimes Is afterburn but more connected. The most they remind if Genesis? Great guitarwork here. No, this is a really good album once accept never be another THB etc. Sticking it out there, best album of their decade? A SONG FOR THE SA-HA-HADNESS!!
The Left Behind. Nicky had singing lessons! There hasn't been a slow song like Doors Closing Slowly. Love the lyrics on this one. The closest they get to psychedelia near the end! Could see where the song would end, but enjoyed the pause.

Overall from first impression, love it, if they've another conceptual piece they are working on, great, but if they aren't doing that, could they knock out another one of these then please?

No idea of ranking fucking hell top three at present stop it brain. And I watched the pictures of Earth on the PS3 as I listened.
Off to make another cup of tea and People Give In still sounds great on the second auto-replay.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

Fucking hell! People Give In is amazing! Worth it alone for that.
This is first time I've heard it as leaks won't play on my Tablet with my limited technology.
People Move On is the closest they've come to The Beatles.
I am playing it on my PS3 as stereo fucked! Startled by the sudden cross-fade into IB.
It can't be a PS3 only thing as it plays other albums with a gap.
Maybe it's the closest to the split screen of A New Hope between space and desert. Go of to write a sentence during a guitar solo.
No, one after each other seems to be the order of the day. Distant Colours.
On the video and radio I can't hear (unless I'm hallucinating or mistaken) I can't hear this faint "craoown craoown" deep pulse that I probably won't hear on subsequent listens. Like the master of Distant Colours has been recorded over other songs?
Vivian now. I can hear Royal Correspondent in the verse and On Friday Morning We Will Rule The World or whatever it's called.
So far enjoyable but most Pop album they've done... In an aged when pop is Due Lips Dua Lipa thing my mate is into but I can't enjoy due to the Arabian rip offs. Well Vivian wore off and didn't notice ending.
Dylan And Caitlin would probably sound better on what is left of my stereo than TV speakers as I can't hear Nicky or much bass despite Movie, Personal, Music settings. Dylan And Caitlin has a beautiful orchestral bit. Much better than PFYAM and while new album glue holds I think I will reach for this album more than Send Away The Tigers.
Liverpool Revisted began doing that last sentence.
Sequels Of Forgotten Wars. How different the mood if this was the start? Imagine if this was the first single? Is that cowbell? This is the closest the Manics get to Rush's Red Barchetta? Probably sound great live and not TV tinny. Fucking hell this is as great as People Give In!
Hold Me Like A Heaven. Disco NSAF verse. Most Pop chorus they've ever done. More space between lyrics as opposed to edited one after each other on Futurology. Oh I want to marry the piano in the chorus of this. This is the most unmanics song I've heard and I'd likes bit more of it. Good sequencing between this and Sequels Of Forgotten Wars.
In Eternity. The most 80's the Manics have ever sounded. Would never make a good single. Guitar is very Sweet Valley High 80's Teen Drama Series. That guitarist... It's... Argh! Gone, but liked it.
Broken Algorithms. The most 80's Metal the Manics get. I'll take an album full of it's guitar riff please! Sean fantastic. Is this the best Sean has ever drummed on an album? I can see where GT was mentioned by reviewers. Great ending.
A Song For The Sadness the cross-fade works best on this one. A lot more up than I thought it was. Solitude Sometimes Is afterburn but more connected. The most they remind if Genesis? Great guitarwork here. No, this is a really good album once accept never be another THB etc. Sticking it out there, best album of their decade? A SONG FOR THE SA-HA-HADNESS!!
The Left Behind. Nicky had singing lessons! There hasn't been a slow song like Doors Closing Slowly. Love the lyrics on this one. The closest they get to psychedelia near the end! Could see where the song would end, but enjoyed the pause.

Overall from first impression, love it, if they've another conceptual piece they are working on, great, but if they aren't doing that, could they knock out another one of these then please?

No idea of ranking fucking hell top three at present stop it brain. And I watched the pictures of Earth on the PS3 as I listened.
Off to make another cup of tea and People Give In still sounds great on the second auto-replay.

Great review!

Glad one of the forum stalwarts also likes it!!!!!!

It gets better with every listen.

[Porco]

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

Fucking hell! People Give In is amazing! Worth it alone for that.
This is first time I've heard it as leaks won't play on my Tablet with my limited technology.
People Move On is the closest they've come to The Beatles.
I am playing it on my PS3 as stereo fucked! Startled by the sudden cross-fade into IB.
It can't be a PS3 only thing as it plays other albums with a gap.
Maybe it's the closest to the split screen of A New Hope between space and desert. Go of to write a sentence during a guitar solo.
No, one after each other seems to be the order of the day. Distant Colours.
On the video and radio I can't hear (unless I'm hallucinating or mistaken) I can't hear this faint "craoown craoown" deep pulse that I probably won't hear on subsequent listens. Like the master of Distant Colours has been recorded over other songs?
Vivian now. I can hear Royal Correspondent in the verse and On Friday Morning We Will Rule The World or whatever it's called.
So far enjoyable but most Pop album they've done... In an aged when pop is Due Lips Dua Lipa thing my mate is into but I can't enjoy due to the Arabian rip offs. Well Vivian wore off and didn't notice ending.
Dylan And Caitlin would probably sound better on what is left of my stereo than TV speakers as I can't hear Nicky or much bass despite Movie, Personal, Music settings. Dylan And Caitlin has a beautiful orchestral bit. Much better than PFYAM and while new album glue holds I think I will reach for this album more than Send Away The Tigers.
Liverpool Revisted began doing that last sentence.
Sequels Of Forgotten Wars. How different the mood if this was the start? Imagine if this was the first single? Is that cowbell? This is the closest the Manics get to Rush's Red Barchetta? Probably sound great live and not TV tinny. Fucking hell this is as great as People Give In!
Hold Me Like A Heaven. Disco NSAF verse. Most Pop chorus they've ever done. More space between lyrics as opposed to edited one after each other on Futurology. Oh I want to marry the piano in the chorus of this. This is the most unmanics song I've heard and I'd likes bit more of it. Good sequencing between this and Sequels Of Forgotten Wars.
In Eternity. The most 80's the Manics have ever sounded. Would never make a good single. Guitar is very Sweet Valley High 80's Teen Drama Series. That guitarist... It's... Argh! Gone, but liked it.
Broken Algorithms. The most 80's Metal the Manics get. I'll take an album full of it's guitar riff please! Sean fantastic. Is this the best Sean has ever drummed on an album? I can see where GT was mentioned by reviewers. Great ending.
A Song For The Sadness the cross-fade works best on this one. A lot more up than I thought it was. Solitude Sometimes Is afterburn but more connected. The most they remind if Genesis? Great guitarwork here. No, this is a really good album once accept never be another THB etc. Sticking it out there, best album of their decade? A SONG FOR THE SA-HA-HADNESS!!
The Left Behind. Nicky had singing lessons! There hasn't been a slow song like Doors Closing Slowly. Love the lyrics on this one. The closest they get to psychedelia near the end! Could see where the song would end, but enjoyed the pause.

Overall from first impression, love it, if they've another conceptual piece they are working on, great, but if they aren't doing that, could they knock out another one of these then please?

No idea of ranking fucking hell top three at present stop it brain. And I watched the pictures of Earth on the PS3 as I listened.
Off to make another cup of tea and People Give In still sounds great on the second auto-replay.

Loved reading that!

[Aestivate]

Originally Posted by UEF

Now I'd like a way to listen to Holding Patterns (nothing to play my vinyl on). Is it online anywhere?

It's one of the Japan bonus tracks, along with Mirror Gaze and International Blue (The Bluer Skies Version) so will no doubt surface somewhere soon once the CD is out in Japan on the 18th.

[Tim]

On first play through nothing is really standing out for me but i get the sense this album is more of a grow-er than a show-er. It's got its moments though, eh?

Vivian's chorus is unbelievably repetitive, i'm not sure what that's all about.
Sequels of forgotten wars has a great driving energy to it.
In eternity is the bowie love track, right? Yeah, that's alright.
Concrete fields is great. When it started i thought the lyrics were trite but then it goes a bit meta where he's addressing his own moaning.
I think this is more the type of commentary i want from them on technology, it feels more thought through and not raging against it for the sake of it.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by deadmartyr

After picking up the only copy without a bent spine in HMV today I was a bit worried when I opened the first page of the deluxe copy.


I've deliberately avoided reading much about the album and had only heard International Blue and Distant Colours prior to today, wanting to keep the first album listen fresh, so I was surprised at some of the pop elements on the album

Sequels of Forgotten Wars and In Eternity are probably my favourites from the first listen through.

I guess that’s a yes

Really, really wish I hadn’t listened to the broken copy a few weeks ago now. Loving tonight’s listen but it’s not the same as hearing it for the first time.

GATS vocals on A Song For The Sadness. Quickly becoming my favourite.

Even listened to Nicky’s song three times today

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Fantastic version of Masses as part of the Xfm thingy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlEjrQj_QYg

"The Masses Against the Classes, baby"

New guitar too.

Looks like a new favourite.

James used this playing live with PSB a few months ago and Sean tweeted a pic of it around the same time saying it’s JDB’s current studio / recording guitar. Some Guild thing I think.

[MSPKYE]

I am absolutely in love with it. Early favourites are In Eternity (probably top favourite at the moment, just absorbed in that right now), People Give In (strings remind me a bit of A Day In The Life), Hold Me Like A Heaven and The Left Behind; really interesting musically and Nicky's best vocal since William's Last Words, just really tender. The singles, which I liked anyway, sound even better within the context of the album. There's just something for everyone in there I think.

[Nicolas De Staël]

Ladies and lads, I'm in love: What an eclectic devil of an album!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful... <3

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

I've only listened to it a couple of times through so far (didn't get it early like others and was happy to wait anyway), but it's better than I was expecting. I'd be surprised if I end up liking it more than Rewind the Film and Futurology though, but it is still early days.

It definitely has an 80's feel to it overall, which for me, isn't a bad thing at all. Favourites so far are People Give In, Hold Me Like a Heaven and In Eternity. I'm also liking The Left Behind more than I would have expected to like a song sung by Nicky.

I notice the band have done their usual trick of putting one of the best songs on a demo CD as a bonus track though A Soundtrack to Complete Withdrawal is brilliant! Much more interesting than a couple of the album tracks. It baffles me why they always do that kind of thing.