It's been only three years since their last release Lifeblood. Lifeblood, in my humble opinion was a decent album brimming with a big, bright sound production and great songs (some serious, fast-paced, and melancholy; others confident and poised). Unfortunately, the album debuted and peaked at #13 on the UK album chart, and fell off the chart two weeks later! This was the album that should've been the big comeback from the somewhat disappointing Know Your Enemy...

Well, now it's 2007. In a nutshell, SATT does remind me of their 1996 masterpiece Everything Must Go, which is not a bad thing at all! This time around, the Manics sound much more optimistic and confident than ever. Loud guitars, a backing string section, and James Dean Bradfield's soaring tenor voice are more than enough to keep my attention. Heck, even Nina Persson (lead singer of the Swedish band The Cardigans) and Nicky Wire contribute greatly to the vocals on "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough". Other highlights include the thumping bass on "The Second Great Depression", the sixteenth notes played in 4/4 time in the intro guitar riff for "Indian Summer", and the Guns N'Roses-like guitar riff for "Autumnsong". And did I forget to mention that the Manics go rockabilly on "Imperial Bodybags"?

It's a darn shame that this fine album is available only on import (for us North American fans anyway). It's a bigger shame that the Manics aren't that well known here in the States. Send Away The Tigers is already one of the best albums of the year!

By the way, in case you're wondering, Tigers recently debuted at #2 on the UK chart...

The Manics are back! Not that they had gone anywhere, they just, faultered, a little bit.

Their last two albums are not favorites of mine. Know your enemy was unfocused and for the first time, their views and oppinions felt like they weren't delivered, as much as rammed down my throat. As for their next effort, lifeblood, it just seemed so wishy washy. Squishy even.

This time they have gotten their house in order. The songs are delivered right away. You hardly get time to relax before one sharp hook is delivered after another. The lyrics are a lot more of everything this time as well. And when things might start to sound a bit too familliar, in comes 'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough'. Bringing in a female voice, the wonderful Nina Persson of The Cardigans, ads another dimension, and lets you sing along to what should be deemed as the pop/rock singel of 2007.

I was a bit worried when I saw the cover. It looks like a Beautiful South album (not that I don't like that band, I do, and they will be sorely missed). I thought perhaps they had gone in some sort of nostalgic pop tune direction.

But, one song in and my worries were laid aside.

This is easily one of my top 5 albums for album of the year, so far, in 2007.

The manics never do things in a half-baked way. If it is good it is excellent and if it is not I am not that interested. After reaching their high point (OK the previous efforts were also great) with Everythinng must go, they had soemehow lost breath but now they seem to have bounced back with new energy. The first song "Send away the tigers"statrs of in their typical instantly recognizable rocking and epic way. there is no doubt that this is their nest record of the last 10 years.

And that's a good thing, unlike some Manics' records that grow a bit tiresome in the latter songs. This is quick stuff - not a single song over 4 minutes. The guitar and vocal hooks leap off the disc. Probably the most immediately accessible thing the Manics have ever done. Bradfield continues the vibe on his solo disc and is absolutely brimming with energy and verve. His vocals and solos soar merrily along, backed by steady Wire and tight Moore. I could have used another 2 or 3 songs, but like one reviewer pointed out - there's no filler here. All the fat has been trimmed off. I have a friend who has a theory that every band has 3 and only 3 really good albums in them. He thinks the Manics' 3 good albums are Holy Bible, Everything Must Go, and This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. He hasn't heard Send Away the Tigers yet. I can't wait to see which he revises: his list or his theory. Something's gotta give! Hope the boys tour the States this time around. I would love to see them perform some of these songs live.

At last the Manics are back with a near perfect 38 minute gem that lacks all the filler of their past three album releases. This 10 song collection doesn't miss a beat, with some great playing, and it sounds like the lads are having fun for the first time in the post-Richie era. Sean sounds great, maybe his best work since their masterpiece "The Holy Bible", his drumming hard and fast, with able support from Nick on bass, the lots of glorious guitar work from JDB, from nice rhythm work, to his trademark screaching solos. Very much in their best anthemic voice, and certainly produced in a crowd pleasing style, the superb "Your Love Is Not Enough" typifies this, the production is crisp, the use of keyboards appropriate for their sound, overall it's a perfect power pop record that reminds me more of their debut than anything they've recorded since. A great introduction to the best British band of my generation.