Artist: Manic Street Preachers
Title: Futurology
Genre: Alternative Rock
Release Date: 4th July 2014
Label: Colombia
Album Review
MANIC STREET PREACHERS have been knocking about music field since 1986 and let’s not bother with introduction too much then, they’re well known by now. Their twelve LP ‘Futurology’ had been recorded at the same time as its release-date-wise predecessor and seems to have achieved more chart success as it’s been out already since 4th July this year. I have to say that I’m not one wan over by this album. It smells of too formulaic approach, lyrics hovering hard in comfort zone, a tad on a simplistic side. I’m not actually sure why I expect more out of them in that way though, perhaps the answer is – who cares about what they say, except that what they have to say is their defining angle on the Alternative Rock scene, you know - the ‘brand’. According to NME this album means “the Manics prove they are still the enemies of greed, conformity and corruption." Yeah ok... I don’t think anyone in the establishment is quaking in their boots and it hardly is something to be described as non-conformist. It’s chicken shit rebel material.
Musically, they pay homage to some Krautrock not just with the obvious candidate ‘Europa Geht Durch Mich’ but the rest too, there are also some more classical heyday Rock nods in ‘Sex, Power, Love and Money’. There are snippets of interesting musical points splashed across the album and perhaps for that it’s good to give it a spin, but overall, a disappointment. With this band that’s often like that – it’s really either hit or miss affair with not much between. Best song – Misguided Missile and for the more interesting and mostly instrumental ‘Dreaming A City (Hughesovka)’ and last song ‘Mayakovsky’ that seems to give a nod to two poets to name few good moments of it. Still, it’s mostly a miss for me.
Tracklist
01. Futurology
02. Walk Me To The Bridge
03. Let’s Go To War
04. The Next Jet To Leave Moscow
05. Europa Geht Durch Mich
06. Divine Youth
07. Sex, Power Love and Money
08. Dreaming A City (Hughesovka)
09. Black Square
10. Between The Clock And The Bed
11. Misguided Missile
12. The View From Stow Hill
13. Mayakovsky
Line-up
James Dean Bradfield - lead vocals, guitar
Nicky Wire - bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on ‘The Future Has Been Here 4Ever’
Sean Moore - drums, percussions, trumpet
Websites
http://futurology.manicstreetpreachers.com / https://www.facebook.com/manicstreetpreachers
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6
Sound: 7
Total: 6.5 / 10
