Soundz grade: 7/10
With Critical Thinking, their fifteenth studio album, Manic Street Preachers continue their journey as one of Britain’s most enduring and thought-provoking rock bands. The album finds the Welsh trio in a reflective mood, balancing nostalgia, social critique, and personal introspection in a way that long-time fans will recognize. However, while Critical Thinking shines lyrically, its musical execution sometimes falls short of the band’s past heights.
From the opening track Decline & Fall, the Manics set the tone with grand, anthemic guitars and a driving rhythm, reminiscent of their Everything Must Go era. Lyrically, the song explores societal and personal decay, a theme that runs throughout the album. The Abba-esque piano flourishes give it an unexpected brightness, contrasting with James Dean Bradfield’s impassioned vocals.
One of the most discussed tracks, Dear Stephen, is a direct address to Morrissey, reflecting on his transformation from a once-beloved outsider to a divisive figure. The track is built on shimmering 80s jangle-pop influences, reminiscent of The Smiths, which makes the lyrical content even more pointed. It’s one of the stronger moments on the album, demonstrating the band’s ability to mix biting commentary with melodic sensibility.
Despite these highlights, Critical Thinking struggles with consistency. Songs like Future Ghosts and A World Without Meaning have strong lyrical foundations but feel musically underdeveloped, lacking the kind of hooks that made earlier Manics albums so compelling. Similarly, the album’s pacing suffers from mid-tempo monotony, with fewer dynamic shifts than expected from the band.
That said, the final stretch of the album redeems some of its shortcomings. The Sun Is Never Setting brings a dose of sweeping, cinematic grandeur, recalling the emotional weight of If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next. The closing track, Reconstruction, is a slow-burning epic that ends the album on a poignant, reflective note.
Ultimately, Critical Thinking is an album that rewards patient listeners. It doesn’t deliver immediate, stadium-ready anthems, but it does offer a thoughtful exploration of aging, disillusionment, and resilience. While it may not rank among the Manics’ best, it solidifies their status as artists unafraid to confront uncomfortable truths, even if the music itself sometimes falls short of their lyrical ambition.
