Manic Street Preachers: Journal for Plague Lovers

Artist: Manic Street Preachers
Album: Journal for Plague Lovers
Date Released: May 12, 2009
Genre: indie rock, Britpop, alternative pop/rock
Rating: 8.1

Review:

Those looking for "The Holy Bible – The New Testament" are just going to have to keep looking well after the release of Welsh band Manic Street Preachers' ninth studio output.

Their new album Journal for Plague Lovers finally unleashes the lyrics left behind by ex-lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards who mysteriously disappeared in 1995 leaving band-mate Nicky Wire (bass and lyricist) a journal of lyrics that have now laid the foundations of this band's most personal album yet.

The album has been marked by some as the follow up to their critically acclaimed 1994 album The Holy Bible, but in fact, beyond Jenny Saville’s genius cover art, there’s little more in common--just great songs.

Richey Edwards is the life and soul of this album as it starts in typical Manics fashion with audio from a film, in this case The Machinist (where Christian Bale’s unstable character closely resembles Richey before his disappearance). It then kicks into the opening track "Peeled Apples" with its dynamic and edgy guitar and thumping bass-line while James-Dean Bradfield shouts lyrics such as "The Figure 8 inside out is infinity" -- an indication of Edwards's insane obsession that he could never figure out inside his head.

The album continues into serenity with "This Joke Sport Severed" before a break down of noise into an anthemic-like rise and a truly magical rock song; these guys always nail it when using an orchestra in a rock ballad.

Title track "Journal for Plague Lovers" tells us of the times Richey searched for a cure for his inner self when staying at clinics during the Manics's early career success. The album is full of troubled images, some of which can be heard on the tracks "She Bathed Herself in a Bath of Bleach" and "Facing Page: Top Left." These are all Richey's words as he reflected on his troubled times.

Journal for Plague Lovers then takes a more juxtaposed upbeat approach with "Marlon JD" and its disco style beat similar to that of their single "The Love of Richard Nixon" from 2001's Lifeblood. The lyrics are coming from a man who had it all and threw it all away.

The Manics conclude with tracks sounding more like their stadium live act of old with "Pretension/Repulsion" and "Virginia State Epileptic Colony", the later of which has a chorus that I’m sure will be ringing around all our ears at this years' festival outings as the band chant out the word ‘PIGGY’. The album finishes with "Williams Last Words", perhaps suicidal in nature, though the band disagrees, with Nicky Wire making a rare appearance as lead vocalist.

Journal for Plague Lovers is a great tribute to a friend who clearly changed the lives of the remaining three Manics. And with it they have once again captivated their growing fan base with a new angle of music to add to their discography.

Reviewed by Alex Diffley.

Metric: Fantasies

Artist: Metric
Album: Fantasies
Date Released: April 14, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, indie-pop, pop
Rating: 8.7

Review:

My initial reaction to Fantasies, Metric's fourth full length, was a resounding, "Wha?" It was definitely not what I expected from a band known for its edgy and even subversive post-punkish sensibilities. But as my surprise transitioned into acceptance, and as I properly digested the album, I now realize that Metric has put together an absolutely outstanding pop album.

This is a new Metric -- a band that has consciously chosen to dive headfirst into the pop arena. The album is upbeat, glossy and bubbly. A friend of mine referred to it as cotton candy -- and it's exactly that. Metric will undeniably lose some followers with this release, but they're guaranteed to gain 10 new fans for every one lost.

Despite the shift I'm still a Metric fan. I have a particular soft spot for a well crafted pop song, and Fantasies is full of them. Fantasies explodes out of the gates with three wham-bams: "Help I'm Alive", "Sick Muse" and "Satellite Mind." All three are drenched with an abundance of hooks and lyrical zingers.

Fantasies, despite its major scale tone, is often a contradiction in terms. The dark and self-reflective lyrics often work against the upbeat vibe as a sort of irony -- or as a way for the band to forcibly shatter the shackles of despair. On "Satellite Mind," vocalist Emily Hanes, who continues to have one of the sexiest voices in rock, declares, "I'm not suicidal, I just can't get out of bed." And on "Give Me Sympathy" she sings,

I can feel it in my bones
Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on, baby, play me a song
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"

Fantasies also features some excellent sound design; each track contains bits of ear candy that offer the album an added dynamism. I particularly enjoyed the Boards of Canada-esque lo-fi synth pads that colour "Twilight Galaxy."

Need a pick-me-up this summer? Look no further than Fantasies.

Reviewed by George Dvorsky.

Andrew Bird: Noble Beast

Artist: Andrew Bird
Album: Noble Beast
Date Released: January 12, 2009
Genre: adult alternative, pop, rock
Rating: 7.9

Review: Now very deep into his career, Andrew Bird's fifth studio albums features all his vintage trademarks: stellar song writing and lyrics, virtuoso whistling, and plenty of violin; Noble Beast features some of his best violin playing and arranging to date. But it's the influences that Andrew Bird brings to Noble Beast that make it such an interesting and listenable album.

Take the second track, "Masterswarm" as an example. The intro is pure Nick Drake, but it quickly shifts to a groove that sounds like a cross between Calexico and Enrico Morricone. Add to that Bird's violin and you get a track that sounds like something put together by Spanish Gypsies.

On "Nomenclature" Bird channels Thom Yorke -- a strange choice given the country-folk feel of the track. But not surprisingly, it works. And as usual, the fantastic melodies shine through.

Bird's lyrics remain some of the best in the business; a prime example can be found on "Effigy":

If you come to find me affable
And build a replica for me
Would the idea to you be laughable
Of a pale facsimile

So will you come to burn an effigy
It should keep the flies away
And when you long to burn this effigy
It should be of the hours that slip away
Slip away

Despite the obvious influences, Noble Beast is still an Andrew Bird album through and through. Fans will not be disappointed.

Track highlights: "Oh No," "Not a Robot But a Ghost," "Tenuousness."

Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light

Artist: Antony and the Johnsons
Album: The Crying Light
Date Released: January 29, 2009
Genre: pop, rock
Rating: 8.3

Review: Among my most anticipated releases of the year, The Crying Light marks the third release from New York's Antony and the Johnsons. The Crying Light features the unmistakable vocal talents of Antony Hegarty, who last year appeared with the frenetically upbeat Hercules and Love Affair.

Going into the album I was expecting more vocal greatness -- and Antony delivers. But what I didn't expect was the gorgeous production, tastefully minimalistic arrangements and stellar song writing. Indeed, while I was eager to hear where Hegarty was going to take his singing abilities, I did not expect the song writing to be so good. Tracks like "Epilepsy is Dancing," "The Crying Light" and "One Dove" shine above their previous efforts as carefully constructed and mature pieces. The end result is their strongest album to date -- and with Hegarty emerging as a very capable composer.

The Crying Light is gentle, tender and delicate. It's colored by emotions that are telegraphed through Hegarty's inimitable vocal talents and through thoughtful lyrics. Themes that run through the album include loss, change and self-reflection. "Another World" in particular is a track that can be read as a lamentation for the current environmental crisis, or as the thoughts of a person facing their own death:

Still have to many dreams
Never seen the light
I need another world
A place where I can go
I'm gonna miss the sea
I'm gonna miss the snow
I'm gonna miss the bees
I miss the things that grow
I'm gonna miss the trees
I'm gonna miss the sun
I miss the animals
I'm gonna miss you all

A beautiful and engaging album, The Crying Light marks the highpoint of Antony and the Johnsons' musical career.