Back To The Futurology

Money needs money, and slums need the poor
Curled like an animal lying on the floor

In need of another Welsh fix* I found myself lured by the siren call of the Manic Street Preachers and I fished out Futurology their excellent unheralded Mittel European sliver bullet. Spoiler alert: this is a really excellent LP. I cannot believe it is already a decade old though.

So you played in Cuba did you like it brother?
I bet you felt proud you silly little fucker

The songs that make up Futurology were recorded at the same time as the companion piece to the decidedly downbeat Rewind The Film (released 10 months prior). Futurology is sleek, concrete, chromed, unapologetically angular** and arty. It’s a fast rail journey through snowy plains and dark woods of a mostly-imagined European heartland of ideas and a very retro future.

Basically think Simple Minds circa Empires And Dance and I Travel; the Manics own logo is a nod to the typeface used on Empires And Dance, that’s how much they like it. Musically it doesn’t sound too similar, James Dean Bradfield’s guitar sound is more influenced by the Skids here, but in terms of atmosphere and ideas we are right there, comrade.

Take me to the bridge had another meaning
Singing it loud at the indie disco

Every single track on the first side of the LP is a great. The title track drifts in reassuringly and sets up all that is to follow. ‘Walk Me To The Bridge’, which is not about Richey James’ probable suicide, is as chock full of upbeat misery and bombastic regret as one could ever wish for. That it then plunges into the marching-friendly ‘Let’s Go To War’ with its great massed-choir-of-the-proletariat style backing vocals and pockets of guitar, is just cold trench coat perfection.

‘The Next Jet To Leave Moscow’ is a real highlight for me, not just of Futurology but the band’s whole canon. It is a perfectly poised tune, full of tension and ease, beautifully balanced. Hypocrisy, longevity and a nice barbed swear complete the job for me, before a rather lovely guitar solo; hey we’re smiling through our existential doubts over here. Bonus points to the gents for the inclusion of Cian Ciaran of Super Furry Animals fame on this track too.

An old jaded commie walking in Red Square
With Rediffusion eyes of yesteryear

The decidedly jackbooted-Goldfrapp stomp of ‘Europa Geht Durch Mich’ (Europe goes through me) is a barnburner. I love Nina Hoss’ contribution to the track and the whole is a wonderful fusion of optimism, ideology, industry and vision, tarnished.

Then we swoon into ‘Divine Youth’ which is gilded by Georgia Ruth Williams harp and vocals. I love the simple striving and elegance of this one. I was also in attendance the first time they ever played this live, which makes me geekily happy.

The brash ‘Sex Power Love And Money’ has to be the only song ever created in the whole worldwide history of fucking everything that hints at an influence from Rolling Stones Undercover. Fact. It’s kind of crap in an undeniably listenable way. I like it.

Lament for the weak for they will be crushed
We could have been heroes but failures more fun

Instrumental ‘Dreaming A City (Hughesovska)’ is a brilliant flash of 80’s communist-via-Simple-Minds glamour. The story behind it is incredible and makes me think of Donetsk even more compassionately than before. That we then float into a jaunty tune about the suprematist art of Kazimir Malevich just makes it even better, this is why I love the Manics so much, God bless their 30 little toes.

Green Gartside is the next guest up on ‘Between The Clock And The Bed’ and the way they use his voice as a texture on this most 80’s of tunes is clever, can’t beat a bit of Scritti Politti. There are some interesting moments and sounds on ‘Misguided Missile’, including a good anthemic chorus but it never quite ignites for me.

The clattering pastoral of ‘The View From Stow Hill’ takes us back to that renowned hub of Mitteleuropa, Newport. I rather enjoy this, despite only being able to make out one word in seven that James sings here. The closer, ‘Mayakovsky’ is a surprisingly heavy instrumental kiss off to Futurology, exulting in the works of the very photogenic Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky.

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I have written more than I usually do here but I have so enjoyed coming back to Futurology. It is a really excellent album from a band I have loved since I first saw perform in a Leeds pub a very long time ago now.

As always the Manics manage to conjure a dignity and curiosity that is very much their own. Few bands of their longevity still bother to really exert themselves in the studio, rather than just cash in their chips and hit the nostalgia circuit.

Futurology is a wonderfully designed object, propelled by three excellent musicians who use their guests sparingly and cleverly to add light and shade to their work. The production by Loz Williams^ is exemplary, everything balanced, glacial and immediate as you could wish, although I do see bits were done by Alex Silva too.

I love the unreconstructed yearning here for a Europe of the mind and creative soul, perfectly conjured and hymned in this album. Good job all my fellow citizens share my views, eh readers?

1245 Down.

PS: I think the LP cover is a bit pants, but we will overlook this.

*my home nation is very moreish, just like custard creams and/or crack.

**much like my good self, I have never once apologised for any of my angles.

^pretty sure he was the chap in Kingmaker, back in the day.