Stereophonics - 'Pull The Pin' (V2) Released 15/10/07

They’re one of Britain’s greatest underdog bands. They release a number one selling album and virtually disappear. Then just before you can finish saying ‘what ever happened to…’ Stereophonics crash back onto the scene with their new LP ‘Pull The Pin’. After releasing five studio albums many bands would consider the easy way out and release a ‘Best Of’ compilation. Never a band to choose simplicity over creativity, Stereophonics have almost compiled their own greatest hits in an album of new material. ‘Pull The Pin’ showcases the Welsh/Argentinean bands ability to utilize a variety of styles taken from their decade long career to create something that can stand alongside any of their previous triumphs.

Opening track ‘Soldiers Make Good Targets’ begins with a brief news broadcast before delivering the commanding ‘Roll Up and Shine/Jealousy’-esque isolated riff. A song written about how you can see images of a war zone one second and then a coke advert the next. A typical and emphatic vocal from Kelly Jones, he yells: “The Time has come and you’re all alone and you know you’re not dreaming." One of the most instant songs ‘Pass The Buck’ offers lively catchy chord structures that spin into a Jones seething order to man up and take responsibility. Lead single from the record ‘It Means Nothing’ drew inspiration from the events of the July London bombings and serves as an apparent reminder that material and trivial issues should take a back seat in life. Anthemic in style and delicate in progression Jones sings "If the bomb goes off again/In my brain or on the train/Then I hope that I’m with you/Cos I wouldn’t know what to do".

‘Bank Holiday Monday’ made its presence felt on radio airwaves over the summer as a teaser track for the album. Violently paced and lyrically charged with tales of gigs in beer gardens, ‘Dabbing speed like a monkey in a ****ing zoo/Get your girl in the bathroom after flirting all day/It’s the time of your life on Bank Holiday Monday.’ Powerful guitars slashing through spitting vocals, it’s fast becoming a live favourite. There aren’t too many songwriters who can turn a tragic event like the pointless death of a young boy for his mobile phone into something as uplifting and captivating as ‘Daisy Lane’. Jones retells the story of the events that occurred on his very own street. Accompanied by a tender riff and a melodic chorus the song harks back to the small town stories of their debut release.

Originally penned as the debut single, and a strong contender to achieve a release still, ‘Stone’ is a perfect representation of the bands huge sound. Punk rock comes back once again for ‘My Friends’ as Jones sings ‘Let me introduce you to my friends/Let me buy you things let me in your head’. Simple and strong with coolly delivered riffs floating in and out the track.  Direct and packed with sleazy punk ‘I Could Lose Ya’ is driven by the rhythm section of Richard Jones’ pulsating basslines and Javier Weyler’s viciousness behind the sticks. The ‘Pedalpusher’ structure fits Jones’ account of oral sex in a theatre and dirty talk on the phone ideally. The throbbing guitar riffs add further style after Jones sings the catchy chorus "I Could Lose Ya/If I choose to/Why would I wanna do that".