Stereophonics: 'My Friends'

Never let it be said that Stereophonics fans are light-hearted or easy-going souls. Following a less than favourable review of their distastefully dull last single 'It Means Nothing', a certain reviewer was told he should lose his job, stick his writing pencil up his bum and have his nether regions cut off and served on a platter to Kelly Jones. Fortunately (for all concerned) their new single is a return to the sort of fire-in-the-belly, vitriolic Welsh rock that helped turn the band into one of the UK's biggest and best live acts.

While its lyrics are uninspired (Lines like "Let me buy you things, let me in your head / Let us fly away let this never end / My friend / My friend" won't be troubling the Ivor Novello judges this or any year), and it's certainly not the best thing on their Pull The Pin LP, its drilling guitars riff and pile-driver drums are of the 'Dakota' ilk - a good thing. Thankfully, Kelly Jones seems to have regained a bit of his classy Welsh drawl and ditched the Rod Stewart act as well. Plus, it's got tons of Be Here Now-era Oasis excessive psychedelic guitar effects and general thrashings, which are totally ace, if you enjoy that sort of thing.


> Want more Stereophonics? Click here for the 'My Friends' video