"Critical Thinking" is a right wing trope? Please enlighten me… or did I misunderstand? Genuinely never heard of this!

Anyone capable of critical thinking would quickly switch away from GB News.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. A bit more critical thinking around the place would be a good thing.

I think there is plenty of critical thinking going about but there's a sort of person who thinks they're one of few capable of it and never shut their mouths. The world's a mess and I'm the only one who can sort it, those types. Tends to come from the middle-aged (God nearly there myself now...)trying to battle their irrelevance by kicking against progressive values. Despite espousing about critical thinking they most often are staunch defenders of the status quo.

Like you say Routine Builder, it'll be interesting to see who the critical thinkers are. Based on previous releases it'll be reflective self criticism.

As a middle aged man, I don't see many critical thinkers who'd excite me when it comes to Manics lyrics.

So it'll be Nicky lamenting how he's lost his anger, or how he struggles with losing it?

The new breed of Critical Thinkers are the "Do your own research!" crowd - which involves watching a YouTube video of a ranting maniac, usually. Not read Peer Reviewed research, talk with experts etc.

That was exactly what I thought when I first saw the title Orwellian!

This is an impressive picture of James playing one of his other new Eastman guitars.
Just think... Everything we'll hear from them from now on will probably have been played on those instruments!

https://www.eastmanguitars.com/james...2J0Uq5nPuUJBrg

Err, yep, definitely a looker! :lol: Kinda reminds me of these beauties http://www.meatexz.com/cheesyguitars/guitars.html

Nicky speaking to Classic Rock Mag:

The Manics have been working on their fifteenth album. How is it coming along?

The recording is ninety per cent done, but we haven’t mixed it yet. It will be out in January or February of next year.

What will it sound like?

It has a lot of energy, even though I don’t feel particularly energised. One of the songs is like a mixture of The Cardigans and The Skids, who are two of our favourite bands, and another sounds like Come Up And See Me [by Cockney Rebel] played by Dinosaur Jr.

Well that last piece Lee posted from Classic Rock Mag has slightly grabbed my interest as that sounds like my kind of thing, though like many I do take their descriptions with a pinch of salt.

If we put JFPL aside for a moment, I've found them lyrically and musically rather chequered since SATT onwards, I just hope if they have nothing to say that the music and melodies are engaging enough. I'll take a Dinosaur Jr. or Cardigans reference point, love them.

Same. Before the song, 'Orwellian' had already become one of those words that would make me think "oh boy, here we go... :rolleyes:" so I did internally face palm a bit.

I am approaching each new Manics album as if it's their final.
Status Quo apparently aren't recording any more albums because they don't get the costs back!

Sounds promising, maybe something in the vein of the 2nd half of RiF. When Nicky is not bothered, James tends to go fuck it and just go in random directions. It may not be a cohesive album but there'll be a few sparks of joy.

As long it is just a good collection of songs with guitar. Don't need any manifestoes or gimmicky piano stuff. Three-and-a-half minute songs. No mention of love. No strings. Easy on the Richey references. The odd riff. And some tasty solos.

Yeah I’m pretty happy with almost anything at this stage and I’m glad to hear that there’s a lot of energy to it.

As long as there aren’t 2 or 3 duets then that’ll do me.

I wonder what answers we would have got if Nicky had been interviewed the day before or after? Or if it was with James?
It just reads (and this is my interpretation) like he's thinking "Ah, these fucking interviews!". Or maybe it was the journalism? Reading it I can see the album being released. Everyone loving it. Then later on in the autobiographicever we get "We had a lot of contempt for each other making this album. So we made it as a final payment".

I've not explained what I mean. We're getting a new Manics rug! But Nicky's going to piss all over it when it's installed.

Still want to hear the new stuff obviously.