Stereophonics - Pull The Pin Review

You used to know where you were with Stereophonics. They would offer up a few mid-tempo plodders that painted two-dimensional pictures of life in dead end towns, and journalist-loathing frontman Kelly Jones would strain his vocals dreaming he was Rod Stewart in the Faces. All this would be done with such earnestness that we could hate them all day long. Then, a bizarre thing happened. In 2005, they released 'Dakota' - a really good, no-nonsense single - and an album of some merit. And they've only gone and done it again....full text When you’re better recognised for getting bloodied up on London streets than for your song writing talents, it’s time to toss the towel in. Kelly Jones: we’ll tolerate this as a swansong, but dare to show your rock chops again after its promo cycle’s come to a muted climax, you’ll be suffering from more than a grazed elbow....full text The Stereophonics release their sixth album, Pull the Ring, and it plods along without many questions and without any answers.

It's actually not an awful album but there's nothing great about it either. It is direct, economical and narrowly avoids being plain, traditional, and tired. The trio have been consistent in their output but have tallied little by way of awards. However they have reliably delivered clean intelligent lyrics and the churning backing vocals, masculine though not out rightly macho tones are still the band's staple ingredients....full text