Just what is there to say about the Manics anymore, oh we know, they're still fucking great, especially at duets!
It’s an imagined conversation between poet Dylan Thomas and writer Caitlin McNamara (parts sung by The Anchoress) during the booze sodden marriage. Musically, it harps back to a glorious age of 60s pop music. The opening has more than a nod to Chris Farlowe’s ‘Out of Time’ and closing moments are drenched in the warmth of Phil Spector’s wall of sound.
The conversation though, is not quite so heart-warming. The hopelessness and desperation of love so volatile is a brutal listen, especially when Caitlin pleads “Dylan don’t leave me behind / Love has divided and died / Beauty still shines in your eyes / America, corrupts your mind”. The emptiness will fell the coldest of hearts, but, with the production, Bradfield’s sol and especially his vocal, there is a sense of hope to cling to.
As Bradfield and The Anchoress unite on the chorus, the line “I never meant to believe in you”, you can’t help but feel the world wasn’t supposed to believe in the Manics. Thank god the world did.
Check the track out on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5dGSib0ToOIUpvird1FTzv
Image Source - Alex Lake: http://twoshortdays.com/