Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other?

Genre rock Publisher V2 Records External Links Official Website V2 Records

For listeners who've followed Stereophonics' career from Welsh chancers to muttonchopped stadium-fillers, the title of their latest release seems a little like wishful thinking. Fun-sized raconteur Kelly Jones has always positioned himself and his band as hometown boys, unassuming talespinners who just happen to have an ear for a tune. Nothing like those Cardiff socialists the Manic Street Preachers then-they've got airs above their station.

Like the Manics, Stereophonics are facing the future without a key member. Original drummer Stuart Cable was unceremoniously fired in 2003 and replaced with Javier Weyler, possibly the only man in rock shorter than Kelly Jones. His propulsive drumming is definitely a presence on Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, but it lacks the organic quality that made the band's tales of ordinary people at turning points in their lives so resonant. That quality is especially important in three-piece bands - imagine Husker Du without Grant Hart. (Well, given that band's history, maybe that's a bad example.)

Along with the personnel change, Stereophonics have made changes lyrically. Jones, the band's main lyricist, has expanded his worldview, presumably to reach a wider audience. However, his attempts at generalizing fall flat. "Dakota," the first single, is a standard-issue fake love song that appears to have time-traveled from a 1992 CMJ compilation. "Doorman" is sort of a companion piece to Steriogram's "Walkie Talkie Man," about the lure of the inaccessible. Unfortunately, Jones' contrived stadium growl makes most of the lyrics indecipherable - except for the WTF? Line "suck my banana." OMG!

Stereophonics may think that they need to write songs that appeal lyrically to a wider fanbase, but in doing so they've lost their charm, and the cock-rock production values don't help matters. A little polish isn't always a good thing.