It almost seems too easy to take pot shots at the sitting musical ducks that are the Manics in 2005, but shoot we must…

Coming on like U2 circa ‘New Year’s Day’ – if Bono and co were utterly spazzed out on Mogadon listening to Keane – ‘Empty Souls’ is so tired and deadened, it doesn’t even manage to summon any of the bluster that the band have hidden behind for nearly a decade.

Sufferingly terminally thanks to a weak melody, hauntingly annoying piano riff and hanging, fuzzing guitars that do absolutely nothing of consequence, it's very hard to find anything to exhale about. It _is_ nothing of note, and it’s really getting quite embarrassing now.

Please stop.