It is also one of numerous moments on this record where Sean Moore’s dexterity and energy as a drummer is prominent. Lyrically, it explores the differing experiences of artistic Welsh siblings Gwen and Augustus John, highlighting their preferred subjects and referencing a transformative event on Tenby beach. ‘The Secret He Had Missed’ is yet another triumphant duet in a remarkable recent run, featuring Julia Cumming from Sunflower Bean and wearing the ABBA influence that can be found on a number of tracks especially proudly. Having spent more time at the piano when crafting his 2020 solo album ‘Even In Exile’, frontman James Dean Bradfield foregrounds that instrument in many of these songs and it serves to open up the band’s sound. ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ is a mutation of several different strands of their musical DNA, evoking some of the melancholic textures of 2004’s unfairly maligned ‘Lifeblood’, the angles of 2014’s ‘Futurology’ and even the luscious Bacharachian harmonies favoured on B-sides from the ‘Everything Must Go’ era. With bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire’s fondness for regularly articulating and updating the mythology around the band, listeners are only too aware when they’re going for pop-rock with strings, as on 2018’s ‘Resistance Is Futile’, or capturing a “harrowing 45 year old looking in the mirror” for 2013’s ‘Rewind The Film’. Nearly thirty years on from their debut, it is increasingly hard for the Manics to release a record without drawing comparisons to their past. Manic Street Preachers ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ Each year, numerous folk reckon they know what the top spot will be with varying degrees of success. Overall, an impressive return for the legendary British outfit.Inevitably, anyone who reads my monthly columns for Clash or scrolls past my turntable shots on Twitter will have a rough idea of what to expect as this list comes to its conclusion. The album grows on you and sounds better with every listen. Nicky Wire’s lyrics are excellent, Bradfield’s delivery is rich and warming, and Sean Moore shows he’s still one of the best rock drummers around. The album is coherent, each track meaningful and carefully thought out. Whilst fans of their 90’s work might feel slightly let down by the change of sound, we should all rejoice the fact they are still together and still making good tunes. The Ultra Vivid Lament closes fittingly with Afterending, an emotional send off to a well-rounded album.Īfter growing up listening to tracks like Motorcycle Emptiness on repeat, I admit that I was slightly underwhelmed by Manic Street Preacher’s most recent release Resistance Is Futile, but I was charmingly surprised by The Ultra Vivid Lament. Blank Diary sees a collaboration with Mark Lenegan, who’s grungey vocals, matched methodically with Bradfield’s, make for one of the album’s highlights. The record continues with powerful piano chords and heavily reverbed vocals in Diapause, whilst Complicated Illusions and Into The Waves Of Love make for more absorbing tracks. Manic Street Preachers have never been shy of expressing political views, and Don’t Let The Night Divide Us touches on these: “Don’t let those boys from Eton suggest that we are beaten”. Both are more than just album fillers, and encapsulate the feel of the album. The record surges on with two more compelling tracks, Quest for Ancient Colour and Don’t Let The Night Divide Us. The Secret He Had Missed features a welcome back-and-forth duet with guest vocalist Julia Cummings, and the piercing guitar in the latter stages of the track reminisce of the band’s glory days. Although the song is slightly cheesy, Bradfield’s vocals shine through in the chorus, and a fierce guitar solo brings the track alive. The track begins “We live in Orwellian times” focusing on themes of culture war and division in modern society. The band openly draw on influences from ABBA, which can be heard clearly in Orwellian, a single released earlier in the year. The lyrics poignantly reflect on this: “Still breaking my heart, the four of us against the world.” The track starts slowly but gradually builds up to the trademark Manic’s sound we all know and love. The album starts with Still Snowing In Sapporo, reminiscing the group’s 1993 tour of Japan, before the disappearance of their guitarist Richey Edwards.
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