Graffiti on the Train, Stylus Records **

The rockers from Cwmaman got the shock of their lives in 2009 when their last studio album, Keep Calm and Carry On, failed to follow its predecessors into the No 1 slot. I guess you can only keep purveying the same meat- and-potatoes for so long before fans start moving on. For their eighth studio album (this time without a major label) frontman Kelly Jones tries to sound a bit less Stereophonicky, and the album acts as a kind of soundtrack to a film project Jones is currently developing. His cinematic ambitions are well supported by a guest arrangement by David Arnold on Violins and Tambourines, while Indian Summer and the title track are likeable vignettes. Been Caught Cheating, however finds Jones slipping back into lazy blues, and Catacomb shows he can't resist jumping into the same old rockpit. stereophonics.com

Download: Graffiti on the Train, Indian Summer, Violins and Tambourines