Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man

* * * * ½

OK, first up a confession.  This was going to be a review of the fantastic 3CD and book set "Play It At Your Sister" by the Damned which I bought recently.  However, that seems to have been deleted already, so there doesn't seem much point in rambling on about it.  Damned good though!

So instead I have plucked this recent album by Manic Street Preachers from my shelves.  This is a really strong album.  I sometimes find the Manics a bit hard to take, too earnest and worthy.   But this is very much a mood thing - at times they can move you like almost no others.  

This has to be their most commercial album to date.  The lush arrangements add an extra dimension to the songs.  There are orchestras, choirs and backing singers.  In fact the strings on "The Descent" remind me of ELO at their pre-disco best, but I suspect the Manics won't thank me for saying that!  I'm not sure how this album is selling stateside (or even if it's been released there) but I could see this being a breakthrough for the band.  

Mac from the Bunnymen makes a welcome vocal guest appearance on "Some Kind Of Nothingness".  His voice goes back a long way for me, and it was a nice surprise to hear him here.  Talk of vocals brings me to the thing that loses this album half a star.  And that is the dreadful flat singing of Nicky Wire.  Fortunately he is only lead vocal on one track here - "The Future Has Been Here 4Ever".  He should stick to Forbsian bass at which he is great.  He should never be allowed anywhere near a microphone! This track even features "more cowbell" - yikes!  When Nicky sings it reminds you that in James Dean Bradfield the Manics have one of the great rock voices!

Editionwise, there is a double CD with demo versions but be warned this has more Wire vocalising than the "finished" album.  There is a vinyl version and a deluxe CD boxset for those with a lot more money than sense.

The album features the singles "(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love" and "Postcards From A Young Man".  I love it to bits.  Update: seems to be available as an import only in the USA.  What a missed opportunity!  Wake up Sony!  Pull your finger out!