If
Everything Must Go
found
Manic Street Preachers
coping with
Richey James
' sudden, unexplained disappearance, its follow-up,
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
, finds them putting the tragedy behind them and flourishing as a trio. Wisely, the group builds on the grand sound of
, creating a strangely effective fusion of string-drenched, sweeping
arena rock
and impassioned, brutally honest
punk
. Since the band never writes about anything less than major issues, whether it be political or personal, it's appropriate that their music sounds as majestic and overpowering as their pretensions. Given that the first single was titled
"If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next,"
calling
the Manics
pretentious is fair game, but they make their pretensions work through a blend of intelligence, passion, and sheer musicality.
This Is My Truth
sports more musical variety than its predecessors, which means it can meander a bit, particularly toward the end. Nevertheless, these misgivings disappear with repeated listens, as each song logically flows into the next. If the album ultimately isn't as raw or shattering as
The Holy Bible
or emotionally wrenching as
, it's because the ghost of
Richey
has been put behind them. That doesn't mean that
is light, easygoing listening -- the portentous, murky closer
"SYMM"
guarantees that -- but it's not as torturous as its immediate predecessors. But what it shares with them is a searing passion and intelligence that is unmatched among their peers on either side of the ocean -- and, in doing so, it emphasizes
' uniqueness as one of the few bands of the '90s that can deliver albums as bracing intellectually as they are sonically. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine