Back in early 2001, I gave the album, 'Know Your Enemy', by the Manic Street Preachers an illustrious 5 bone rating.

Fuck knows why.

My only excuse, as flimsy as it is, is that it was a mixture of being sick of the whole rap/metal wave led by Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park combined with my tiring of telling friends that the Manics used to be punk. All they had ever heard of the Welsh group was the majestic beauty of the Design For Life-era so their doubts were quite rightly justified.

Putting on the rose-coloured glasses, it's very clear that my grading was somewhat ill advised. While Know Your Enemy is by no means a dog, it is however a spectacular miss in trying to recapture the youthful exuberance shown on their early releases when the band was still a quartet. Though I must say I still get down to album closer 'Freedom Of Speech Won't Feed My Children'. Take that Beastie Boys!

Just as stand alone single 'Masses Against The Classes' was an early indication as to where the Manics were heading musically with Know Your Enemy, observant fans no doubt took in the different style of recent songs like 'There By The Grace Of God' and '4 Ever Delayed'. Appearing on their Greatest Hits and B-side Collections respectively, both songs had a distinct New Order-ish feel to them which clearly signalled yet another change in direction.

It is then no surprise that the Mancunian band immediately springs to mind when hearing their 7th studio album, 'Lifeblood'. Brimming with lush production and a more restrained, yet achingly beautiful set of songs then ever before, 'Lifeblood' is the Manics at their best since their 1996 release 'Everything Must Go'.

"Sellouts!" the early fans will no doubt cry from the balcony, but such Statler & Waldorf naivety has been consistently peddled out on every release since the group's sophomore album. As the glorious tones of lead singer James Dean Bradfield dutifully inform us in opener '1985': "We've realised there's no going back".

On 'Lifeblood', the glam punks in the audience will no doubt choke on their feather boas upon hearing such pop-tastic tunes like 'A Song for a Departure' and 'I Live To Fall Asleep'. The lyrical matter, in the latter song in particular, isn't that far removed from The Holy Bible album a decade ago. It's just that instead of a turgid death march it is now an upbeat ditty complete with a delicate piece of piano in the background.

The only respite for the old guard (and believe me there is precious little of it) comes with the lead single 'The Love Of Richard Nixon', a sympathetic ode to the impeached U.S. President. But even then the song's quirky sound, especially for a single, will not tempt them to the brighter side.

A nice touch to the album is contained in the bookends. While '1985' name checks Morrissey and Marr, the closing track 'Cardiff Afterlife' is laced with a sprinkling of Harmonica that is a clear homage to the work of The Smiths.

Despite the fact that 'Lifeblood' is a nostalgic trip, sound wise, back to the 80s, it is nevertheless the sound of a mature band. While it stops short of getting full marks from me, it is certainly a lot better then 'Know Your Enemy'.