The Ultra Vivid Lament

AlbumSep 10 / 202124 songs, 1h 30m 39s95%
Pop Rock
Popular
33

The band delve into loss, insecurity and existential dread, resulting in some of the prettiest songs of their career

7 / 10

Manic Street Preachers go on a mildly experimental journey on The Ultra Vivid Lament

If you can’t wait for the return of the shiny Swedes, then this is a fun diversion

A requiem, but one that looks for sonic positivity in the thematic darkness.

Iron Maiden have a rollicking good time on their 17th album, while Manic Street Preachers take on cancel culture and Eton boys

The Ultra Vivid Lament almost plays like a riposte to Resistance Is Futile, the 2018 album that found the Manic Street Preachers attempting to return to the roar of their younger years.

For a band that have been going for so long and seemingly dedicated themselves to being a nostalgia act with a fair few anniversary tours, new album The Ultra Vivid Lament is a pleasant surprise.

8 / 10

Nearly thirty years on from their debut, it is increasingly hard for the Manics to release a record without drawing comparisons to their past. With

The Manics channel Benny and Björn in an album of mostly sparkling songcraft

8 / 10

Manic Street Preachers' 'The Ultra Vivid Lament' is as rich, melancholic, and intelligent as ever, but also riddled with doubts and anxieties.

77 %

Album Reviews: Manic Street Preachers - The Ultra Vivid Lament

How do you grow older but stay fresh, and be both populist and polemical? The Manic Street Preachers' latest has a determined go at both

Welsh rock cockroaches channel ABBA and Echo & the Bunnymen on their 14th album

8 / 10