Return of the Manics (+1)

I think this is probably the best Manics comeback single for quite some time. It features Nina Persson of Cardigans fame, and is a very good pop record. Even if the new album ends up being crap, this is a good single.

Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough


I especially enjoy the chorus (actually, it's almost got two) and Nicky Wire's interjections towards the end, which apparently refer to the absent Richey: "I could have seen for miles and miles/I could've made you feel alive/I could've placed us in exile/I could've written all your lines/I could have shown you how to cry."

I don't care how long ago they should've split up or how much they're just a shadow of once-held greatness anymore. They were the soundtrack to my imperfect teenhood and every time I listen to them I'm still filled with a heartwarming sense of familiarity. Their continued existence is like a lingering breath of fresh air in an industry increasingly obsessed with bands who are poor imitations of other already poor bands, a particularly dull brand of electronica, and all this nu-rave nonsense. There'll never be a band like the Manics again.