Album 15

[theplague]

Originally Posted by Nicolas De Staël

Short review after listening to the album 7 times in a row...

Critical Thinking: 7.5/10 (This one could've been a huge track, in my opinion, unfortunately the lyrics are delivered in a pretty uninspired way by Mister Wire... Tight, itchy songwriting, nevertheless.)

Decline and Fall: 7.5/10 (Poppy, shiny little tune. Good lyrics.)

Brushstrokes of Reunion: 8.5/10 (A touching set of lyrics and a superb solo cast by Mister Bradfield on this tune... The chorus is a pure blast of melacholic euphoria.)

Hidden In Plain Sight: 7/10 (A bit repetitive for my tastes, though well mixed... Sounds like a PFAYM outtake.)

People Ruin Paintings: 8.5/10 (Nice, ambiguous lyrics combined to a beautiful mellow chorus, that's stuck for good in my head, by now. ...And there's a gorgeous solo packed in it, too!)

Dear Stephen: 9.5/10 (Wow! Elegant songwriting!! There's "Even in Exile" feel to it, which is very appealing to me. :-) A true highlight on CT!)

Being Baptised: 10/10 "I walk out singing a song, ...words of joy and songs of sorrow..." ... ...They've gotten me with this track... I've cried like a baby listening to it the first time. Stunning, epic melodylines and hooks throughout the song, heartfelt lyrics, a gradiose solo and all together just genuinely delivered, to the point, by JBD. There's also an "Even in Exile" shine on this one, as much as on "Dear Stephen". In my opinion, this is the Manics at their very best and the reason why I'm so much in love with them. ...A perfect piece of music!)

My Brave Friend: 7/10 (After the first spin I'd thought that this may the cheesiest piece music they had delivered in their entire carreer, but, actually, just a few spins later, MBF turns out to be a pretty pleasant, though melancholic ballad.)

Out Of Time Revival: 8.5/10 (VERY 80s sounding, with a pounding chorus... Utterly enjoyable! Looking forward to listen to this tune in a car, on a highway, at night.)

Deleted Scenes: 9/10 (Nostalgic lyrics, musically enticing, with a intriguing rhythm section. A further highlight on CT.)

Late Day Peaks: 9.5/10 (Another fave of mine! I can cling to the lyrics in a most peculiar way, in this case. Feels like sitting on a boat on a weary sea, taking all my problems with me. :-D ...)

Onemanmilitia: 6/10 (A bit of a mess (and a miss, too).)


Album rating, so far: 8/10 (Not as good as the throughout excellent TUVL, but a good one.)

Out of curiosity, what are your like 6-7 fav tracks by Manics and how would you rate them? More than 10?