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Wow. After not having massively high expectations - The Ultra Vivid Lament was pretty limp and uninspiring - the new album has quietly come along and blown my socks off. I love it.
The 4 songs we’d already heard are great, but for me the real magic of this record comes along between tracks 7-12: six absolute spine-tinglers in a row.
I dunno if it’s because I’m feeling increasingly vulnerable in my old age, but the one-two punch in the heart of Being Baptised and My Brave Friend turn me into mush, I’ve gotta be honest. Being Baptised is utterly gorgeous, all the more powerful when you know the inspiration behind the song and have an affinity with New Orleans, and My Brave Friend is soulful catharsis for anyone who’s ever had to say goodbye to someone precious that they’ve loved.
I was worried this was going to be another latter-day MSP album dominated by uninspired piano tinkling, but instead here synth (predominantly) fills out the sound, and it works really well. The whole thing has a really lovely, melancholic 80s pop-rock sheen and it really suits the songs.
The opening and closing tracks are brilliant bookends and hint at something that, until now, I never thought we needed: an entirely Nicky Wire lead Manic Street Preachers album. I think it could be something uniquely brilliant in their catalogue.
All in all, easily their best album for over a decade and might just be nuzzling pretty close to some of their best work. Fabulous stuff.
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