If you're a fan of the Manic Street Preachers, currently on an open-ended sabbatical, you will probably leap at this solo effort from frontman Bradfield. Touching on a range of styles, from bombastic rock - That's No Way To Tell A Lie - sweeping anthemic pop - the album's highlight, Bad Boys And Painkillers - and thoughtful neo-ballads - To See A Friend In Tears - the man who sang the awesome Motorcycle Emptiness all those years ago pretty much covers all the bases demanded of him by fans with this album, and in fairness he does it very well indeed.

Yet whether he is pushing his creative boundaries as far as he could is debatable. Indeed the more recent MSP output showed signs of becoming clogged up with fur of a new kind of prog rock and at times this shows similar signs of stodginess. Aforementioned fans of Bradfield's will lap this up, but it ultimately promises more than it delivers.