The Great Western

James Dean Bradfield

WHAT'S THE STORY? The Manic Street Preachers' hairy frontman moonlights with a solo album that sounds like the - um - Manic Street Preachers. (In their late, non-punky guise, that is).

TO BE HONEST: We think Bradfield's fellow bandchums should treat him to a mighty nasty nipple tweaking for keeping these songs out of their fetid clutches, because they're all reasonably good, as it goes.

DESCRIBE AS: Safe, melodic fun.