The Manics have been around for a quite a while considering their original declaration to split after making an album which sold a million copies. Fifteen years on from Generation Terrorists though, their disappointing seventh album Lifeblood suggested that their fire was beginning to burn itself out. Sure enough, last year the band announced that they would be taking the next two years off. 

No break for James Dean Bradfield though; the erstwhile Manics frontman couldn’t bring himself to stay out of the studio for that length of time. The result, The Great Western, is quite surprising. Cynics (this writer included) would have guessed that this would be a Manics album in all but name; in fact there’s a seriously poppy edge here that the Manics have never possessed. 

Album opener and lead single ‘That’s No Way To Tell a Lie’ does of course begin with a Manic-esque choppy riff, but it’s garnished with hand claps, synths and harmonies. It’s about as far as you might get from the likes of The Holy Bible, but it’s a refreshing change and very catchy. ‘Bad Boys and Painkillers’, with lyrics from bandmate Nicky Wire, is affectingly unusual too, with its understated gentle melody, powered by acoustic guitars and the occasional burst of harmonica (and yes, we’re still talking about James Dean Bradfield here).  

Other highlights are the sadder moments on the record. ‘Still A Long Way To Go’, a melancholic number led by muted guitar, morphs into a harmony laden chorus, while the beautifully stripped ‘To See a Friend in Tears’, powered only by acoustic guitar and Bradfield’s powerful vocals, might well have you reaching  for the Kleenex. A few songs fail to hit the mark too though; in particular ‘On Saturday Morning We Will Rule the World’ and ‘Run Romeo Run’ are fused with pop trickery but fail to possess the hooks of the remainder of the record. ‘Émigré’, disappointingly, sounds just like the Manics with ‘la la’ harmonies.

Generally, The Great Western shows the softer side of Bradfield, relaxing outwith the straitjacket of his band.  It’s surprisingly light in comparison to the Manics output but certainly no worse off for it. In fact, if his pop sensibilities transfer to the Manics on their return then their fire might well burn again.
(3½/5)

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