Well. What a serious disappointment. This was an album I had anticipated the release of for quite some time, and considering they were using the lyrics Mr Richey Edwards left behind, you would have thought it would be at least half good. It IS the Manics, so it kind of was, but when will they fall out of the "verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-chorus" pattern that is used everywhere for all mainstream music that gets so hideously boring it makes you want to eat the cd so it can't possibly be played anymore. The most depressing part is that they are quite obviously capable of making music so good that it's running level with Radiohead's 'Ok Computer' - but none of tht shines though with 'Journal For Plague Lovers'. And, every single time the Manics have a new album out, every single reviewer says "Finally - the Manics are back on form". Well they're not. I preferred their slated 2004 release 'Lifeblood' that everyone else was so disappointed in. A few songs stood out on first listen ('Peeled Apples', 'This Joke Sport Severed', 'Marlon J.D' etcetera), but I'm also beginning to despise how they start nearly every song with a quote from something. Even if they are bloody relevant. Manics what are you doing?! I used to love you. Should have quit when you were ahead, like you always wanted to..