If you're combining your morning coffee with the new Manic Street Preachers album, you can also listen to our BONUS EPISODE now! It's full of our initial thoughts on Critical Thinking, and a whole lot more! #manicstreetpreachers
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Enjoyed the episode! As for the album, I dislike it. It's blander than bland throughout. I disagree with the initial thoughts on the the first and last songs - They are so naff lyrically and vocally. Last interesting album for me was Futurology :(
Given the album a few listens and I'd say it was good. Good, not great. The opening track is one of their best songs in years (despite, or because of, the cringe factor). In fact, the 3 Nicky led songs are the strongest on the album! I'm more likely to return to this than Postcards or RIF, I feel.
Yeah, on my first couple of listens I agree, the band took a theme (similar to the theme they only snuck into the last 4 tracks of RIF, oddly enough) and I think stuck the landing pretty well. I love the cod-Abba sound so the twee gameshow-theme esque singles are fine by me. Enjoying it so far.
I have to concur. It’s not nothing but it’s BARELY something. The Wire tracks at least have a modicum of excitement but I was forgetting the album as I was listening to it.
So much better than I was expecting. Was hoping the lead single would be one of the least interesting things on the album, and it is (although it has grown on me a lot). Tracks 1-7 and 11-12 are pretty great, just a section in the season half which threatens to become a bit generic. But early days!
Little things: that subtle synthy thing on the middle 8 and last chorus, the line "a beauty that calls", and the melody that had burrowed into my mind and resurfaced after a few months dormant.
I admittedly know f*ck all about music, but I think Decline & Fall sounds much better on the album coming as it does straight after Critical Thinking. Not sure why, maybe it's the extra little intro bit. Also, am I the only one who hears Mark E Smith and Sunday Bloody Sunday on Critical Thinking?
Yeah, don’t think this is for me. D&F might sound like the theme song to a 1992 Saturday evening Noel Edmonds light entertainment vehicle but, fuck me, at least it has a tune that stays with you for a couple of minutes after it ends
Seen a lot of whining about this. I can only assume they didn't make it to OneManMilitia, which is fantastic. Or perhaps they've not noticed they've changed things up for almost every album since 1994, so comments like "CT is not exactly Generation Terrorists is it" say more about them than the band
I think that's true of the surface level aesthetics of their sound, but for the last decade or so, they've been writing about the same small pool of ideas, and I think on this album I found it a little tiring.
I may need to live with it for longer; I've given it a few more listens since your reply. There's real steps forward lyrically here, and great to hear so much Nicky. I don't think it's as strong as TUVL (which I really loved), but it's better than anything else since Journal, for me. That ain't bad.
This album has actually reignited my love for the Manics after a couple of lacklustre albums. Easily their best since Futurology. Hiding in plain sight, dear Stephen, being baptised, my brave friend are quality. Decline and Fall is still poor though!
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It's still not the version of Manics I like best.