CD OF THE WEEK

Manic Street Preachers - Lifeblood

MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Lifeblood/Sony
****

"The Holy Bible for 35-year-olds," is how Manics bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire describes the seventh studio album from everyone's favourite generation terrorists. On the opener, 1985, they sing "we've realised there is no going back" as they unveil their new design for musical life. Gone, but not forgotten, are their spit 'n' snarl musical cut-ups, replaced here by an adult pop sheen, abetted by Bowie producer Tony Visconti and the rightly acclaimed Goldfrapp engineer, Tom Elmhirst. The single, The Love of Richard Nixon, is a wry meditation on the notion of betrayal, while Empty Souls features what must surely be the same electric piano that U2 used on New Year's Day. Don't confuse the band's musical maturity with any sense of encroaching mellowness - the decomissioning has not been complete. Wire can still write the most sardonic political couplets this side of Billy Bragg and, the Manics being the Manics, there's a song about suffragette pioneer Emmeline Pankhurst. Musically, they've strayed into The Associates/New Order territory; thankfully, it's been accomplished as if to the mixing desk born. The overall feel may be a bit more subdued than previous efforts, but that's probably because they've learnt how to introduce subtlety into their work. Not sure if Fidel Castro will be rushing to the iTunes shop for this one, but this collection of glimmering tunes has repositioned the Manics as being perhaps less intense but certainly more thoughtful (and tuneful) pop polemicists. New Manics, new danger.

www.manics.co.uk Brian Boyd