Album 15

[IrelandCalling4]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Ironically they were put up by the Official Manics YouTube channel so seemed a bit odd.

The band will upload them at some point; until then I wait until Tuesday to hear them once CD arrives

[darkanddivine]

So initially...

Critial Thinking: Really interesting. Obviously Nick's vocals take things in a certain direction, so it's defined a lot by that. A bit of an overall statement for the album, but it works well in a modern angular Manics way. The lyrics are the star of the show obviously.

Decline & Fall: You can have a go at this for being Manics by numbers, but as I mentioned in my initial comment, I think it's easy to underrate how tricky this is to pull off. I think it's a really solid classic Manics tune, so I'm on board with this sitting alongside International Blue and others.

Brushstrokes of Reunion: I didn't quite gel with this one at first. Starting to hear maybe a few of the tones from Lifeblood and Trush blending in here. With more listens it feels a lot stronger, and this is the one that sits in my head most of all, so that says a lot.

Hiding in Plain Sight. This cashes in on the promise of some of Nick's earlier songs. His delivery of the words about looking back as his former self really make it personal. Nice tune too.

People Ruin Paintings: My fav on the record. The lyrics are typically opinionated and the music is just really nicely put together; it just sounds like the Manics being effortless (in the best possible way).

Dear Stephen: I think somehow this one just about hits home. Part of me things it's maybe because some of the lyrics don't sit well as I thought, but also because I don't have the same connection to Moz. It might because it's so confessional, or it might be the way the chorus just lilts in the background, but all those factors keep it strong.

Being Baptised: Strong TIMT vibes in the chords here. Maybe it isn't quite as melodically catchy as the first 6 tunes?

My Brave Friend: Another in their line of ballads (ala: Complicated Illusions.) I think it's easy to overlook these but it's really hard to write good ones, so I think this hits the spot in a similar way.

Out of time Revival: Bit of a nod to Futurology style here. The chorus really lifts the verses up. Solid stuff.

Deleted Scenes: It's got that sortof 80s indie vibe to it, but the rhythm reminds me of Black Dog on My Shoulder. Nice lyrics, but somehowe the verse feels a tad stronger than the chorus.

Late Day Peaks: Need more time with this one. Feel it's a bit like Deleted Scenes in that the chorus is decent but the rhythm and interest of the verse is the main draw to it.

OneManMilita: I think this is actually really good. What's most interesting is how Nick and James start to come together in the vocals. The instrumental is fantastic, and I almost wish James would come in on a final chorus to make it both him and Nick seeing out the album. But it's a strong closer.

Overall I really like the confessional nature of the words; it feels like we're heading into some territories the band haven't been into before. And for that alone, while it tails off a bit as the album goes on, I do feel it's a more consistent album. In comparison to TUVL and RiF this feels more consistent and put together. Those records had brilliant peaks and moments to come back to but maybe didn't sit as a whole. This has both the peaks and a red line running through it that makes it play nicely together as a record - and it feels like it's more likely to grow as time goes on. It's funny in a way that if this is the one they had no MO for; it actually feels a bit more cohesive. I like it, and the buzz around the band; it's just nice to see them enjoying it again.