Futurology

[FacelessSenseOfVoid]

Haven't heard it since Saturday night, giving it a rest now until my journey to London tomorrow!

[Ken Korda]

Did anyone who bought the vinyl get a digital download code? Wondering if it's just me or they didn't bother to include one. Obviously they're not obliged to but it's a pain in the arse to not be able to get music on hardrive > Portable devices.

[Porco]

After about five listens, rather than posting in individual threads per song, these are my thoughts on the album, if anyone is interested:

Futurology
I disagree with those who think that this is not a good opener, I think it's pretty good one that sums up most of the rest of the album - the 'statement of intent' as it were. Electric guitars are back, swooshy synths and lots of reverb and multi-tracking are in, you're getting a mix of singers… It's possibly my favourite Nicky vocal on any Manics track, the boy done good. 8/10 (my scores are just intended to be relative to the rest of the album btw).

Walk Me to the Bridge
This is a bit like a more distilled Futurology (track), by which I mean it has a similar feel to me, but with more strictly guitar-y verses, and then more in-your face synth-y choruses. Screams 'this is the proper lead single'. If only we still had proper singles. 8/10

Let's Go to War
After hearing the live bootlegs I missed the beefier guitar at first. But after a few more listens and in the context of the album I think it's a great studio version. Such a simple but effective bassline. 8/10

The Next Jet To Leave Moscow
I adore this track musically, and maybe I'm being too picky but I just feel the lyrics don't match the music. The way the music sounds like it soars and swoops and should have some sort of more classic Manics triumphant melancholia feeling to the words too. Maybe the words will click with me more on later listenings, perception accounts for much. 8.5/10 (Probably would be a '9.5' if I liked the lyrics better).

Europa Geht Durch Mich
Certainly a stand-out track. Nina Hoss is great, stays the right side of bombastic while having the great driving sense of motion they were going for. 9.5/10

Divine Youth
Still not sold on the Dogtanian and the Three Muskerhounds-style synth stabs/hits (though I have the feeling they might grow on me in a weird way), but other than that I think it's a fantastic song musically and fantastic lyrics too, that at least partially cover some of Nicky's usual whinges far more eloquently than certain other examples. Georgia Ruth's voice is absolutely beautiful as far as I'm concerned, I cannot believe I've read people calling it schmaltzy or Disney-like, it's really not at all IMHO, it's fragile and beautiful. Disney vocals are all nasal and stagey typically, not like Ruth's singing on here one bit. The harp is amazing too. And the little tastes of crunchy guitar, and pitch diving synth… I'm honestly surprised it seems to have divided opinion so much (unlike the next track, which I'm not surprised divides opinions at all…!). 9/10

Sex, Power, Love and Money
Love the almost fairground/gameshow-like intro and then it gets sillier. On an intellectual level I almost want to not like this so much, but it's just so catchy (especially the chorus) and I do think it has some substance beneath the very daft surface. That said I think it's one of the least-good songs in the context of the album, it sticks out like a sore thumb to me for various reasons, but then paradoxically isn't it emblematic of the Manics in the context of their career to have tracks that seem like that every so often?! So I'm giving it an moderately average score, but I feel like I will never stop veering between enjoying it and being slightly repulsed by it depending what mood I'm in. 6.5/10

Dreaming a City (Hugheskova)
Just brilliant. I've made my existing love of instrumentals no secret (even before the Manics started churning them out at an increased frequency) so maybe I'm more pre-disposed to like them than some, but this is another belter. Another driving, forceful bassline. 9/10

Black Square
From the first tiny clip I heard of this on the radio I thought I liked the sound of this, and it's definitely one of my favourites on the album, probably at the top of the list right now. I love the music, and I buy into the lyrics massively (the well-known quotes appropriated from the art world work brilliantly). Nicky's interest in Art is so much more satisfying than his Facebook/Wifi/Bluetooth/Tweet/Google whinges. I also love the dropped 'thought police' lyrics on the demo version and kind of wish they'd left them in, but I could also see how they confused the clarity of the message on the finished version (sorry, I do of course mean 'abandoned' version ). 10/10

Between the Clock and the Bed
I must admit to be fairly ignorant of Scritti Politti's work other than 'Oh Patti' that seemed to be on a zillion 80s compilation CDs. So Green Gartside's voice is not something I remember hearing that much. I can see why some don't like it, I don't mind it at all, I think it suits the song well, but I would have been fine with a JDB-only vocal (whereas I think all the other guest lead vocalists add to their tracks massively). I think the song itself is another very good one, the final minute or so being especially great (and that's probably where Gartside's voice really adds the most to the song I think). 8/10

Misguided Missile
Just great from start to finish. Huge chorus, Would love this to be a single. The last 30 seconds are epic. Also would have made a much better album closer than Mayakovsky IMHO. 10/10

The View From Stow Hill
Hmm. 'Not feeling it' as they say. Maybe it'll grow on me. I don't mind it until the misguided tweets and sad face booking bit, then the music just goes on in a bit of a dreary fashion too after a moody and interesting start. My least favourite track on the album as of now. 5.5/10

Mayakovsky
Not as good as Dreaming a City…, (I'd still count it as an instrumental despite the repeating of the title (as if it really matters)), but decent enough. I don't really understand it as an album closer though, other than the Europa Geht Duch Mich call-back which could been tacked on to any other song just easily... 7/10

---Bonus tracks---

Blistered Mirrors
It's alright. A bit b-sidey for me. Still would have swapped it for either of my two least favourite tracks if it weren't for the other two bonus tracks… 7/10

Empty Motorcade
Agh, vocal melody reminds me of something so much that I can't think of! Brilliant track though. Would have swapped it with TVFSH personally. 9.5/10
+
The Last Time I saw Paris
C'est fantastique! Would have stood out from the album no more than SPLAM! does, and is a better song, IMHO. 9/10

Overall I give the album a 9/10 right now, I'll be interested to see how it holds up after some time has passed. I can't say for sure if I like it a smidgen more or less than Rewind the Film yet, my instincts tell me I love them about the same, and anyway I am tempted to think of them as a pair both because of the way they were made in overlapping time periods but also the many thematic contrasts and similarities one can draw between the albums.

[nocultureicons]

Nice write up there Porco, I reckon I completely agree with everything you said.

[napnet86_]

Originally Posted by Ken Korda

Did anyone who bought the vinyl get a digital download code? Wondering if it's just me or they didn't bother to include one. Obviously they're not obliged to but it's a pain in the arse to not be able to get music on hardrive > Portable devices.

Don't think it came with one - Rewind the Film never did when it was released.

[BathedInBleach]

That's a pretty spot on review Porco!

Having giving the album a few run throughs now, I absolutely love it. I was really intrigued by what the band was saying after their time away following the O2 show. Two albums in the space of a year sounded like they'd been in a really creative mindset, but RTF did leave me a bit cold. I like how it slowly reveals itself, but in amongst some truly great high points, there was just too many songs that just seemed to lack that certain 'something' and they became a much of a muchness.

Futurology couldn't be more different though. It feels like such a brilliant, original, cohesive unit. This is the first time a Manics album has knocked me off my feet since JFPL and I genuinely think this is one of their very best. Next Jet to Leave Moscow is stunning, fantastic work from James. I'd just be repeating what the vast majority of you guys have already said, but Dreaming a City is just incredible, Divine Youth is beautiful and SPLAM is mental (in a good way). Walk Me to The Bridge really won me back around after hearing it again, it sounds massive when blasted loud. There's not a skippable, weak song on here for me and I'm really fucking happy with that.

View from Stow Hill really reminds me of a merging of Morning Comrades with a Lifeblood era atmosphere during certain parts. The facebooking line is getting slightly, SLIGHTLY less cringe worthy with each listen, thankfully.
Oh and bloody hell, Empty Motorcade is one of their finest songs. All this on their 12th album? Well done lads <3

[roi]

After one proper listen, Let's Go To War is by far my favourite, followed by Misguided Missile and Black Square. The instrumentals work really well - JDB's guitar is distinctive enough even without vocals. Reminds me of Ladytron a bit sonically. And apart from RTF it is probably their LEAST Holy Bible-ish record.

[Symmanine]

Great great album

[wireobsessed]

All I can say is: I'm In Love.

[everlasting]

Finished my first listen, Let's Go To War is my favourite (but do love the two 'singles'). Some of the songs didn't grab me at all, rather average but I always feel like on first listens of albums. I'll give a 7/10 for now, sure it will grow over the next few weeks with many hundreds if plays

[Lee]

It's a brilliant album isn't it.

I think it'll get better with more listens too.

[Bartek Wyre]

OK, so after the first listen I think I like the instrumentals best. There, I've said it.

[allisvanity]

My first impressions are that 'Sex, Power, Love & Money' is far and away the weakest track on the album, but it's so fucking funny I can't bring myself to dislike it!

[Radiomanic]

So i was just down the gym this evening and decided to put LGTW on, i couldn't be arsed to stop running and change it so left the album going...

...and it clicked! Its like somebody re-wired my brain to accept it! Once i think i got over the initial shock of it not sounding anything like what they said (really, nothing like it bar EDGM and LGTW)... Its actually mostly a good record! Not as good as the critics are claiming, but good nethertheless. Don't think ill ever love it as much as my top MSP albums but its better than another PFAYM or SATT. Not a bad effort at all, still haven't forgiven them for SPLAM and the title track though. Those can fuck right off. Take em away and replace with two bonus tracks...im all in.

I was WRONG about this, you hear me Khizar/Richey? WRONG!

[Frozendiva]

Originally Posted by Radiomanic

So i was just down the gym this evening and decided to put LGTW on, i couldn't be arsed to stop running and change it so left the album going...

...and it clicked! Its like somebody re-wired my brain to accept it! Once i think i got over the initial shock of it not sounding anything like what they said (really, nothing like it bar EDGM and LGTW)... Its actually mostly a good record! Not as good as the critics are claiming, but good nethertheless. Don't think ill ever love it as much as my top MSP albums but its better than another PFAYM or SATT. Not a bad effort at all, still haven't forgiven them for SPLAM and the title track though. Those can fuck right off. Take em away and replace with two bonus tracks...im all in.

I was WRONG about this, you hear me Khizar/Richey? WRONG!

This may be a day long remembered.