Manic Street Preachers: New b-side and other news

Just over a year on from Journal For Plague Lovers, the Manics are back with tenth album "Postcards From A Young Man". Whereas JFPL was seen as a companion piece to 1994's "The Holy Bible", PFAYM is a return to the bombast and anthemic sound of "Everything Must Go". Described by band mouthpiece Nicky Wire as "one last shot at mass communication", it features appearances from Ian McCulloch, John Cale and Guns 'N' Roses' Duff McKagan. And as if that doesn't sound good enough the artwork features Tim Roth of Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction/Lie To Me fame.

The band have made one of the six b-sides (six!) to first single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" available for free download. Wonderfully named, "I'm Leaving You For Solitude" sounds like a lost John Lennon solo track and surprisingly lacks a typical stadium-sized James Dean Bradfield solo, but sounds all the more refreshing for it.

The tracklisting for "Postcards For A Young Man" is as follows:

1. (It's Not War) Just the End of Love
2. Postcards from a Young Man
3. Some Kind of Nothingness (featuring Ian McCulloch)
4. The Descent – (Pages 1 & 2)
5. Hazleton Avenue
6. Auto-Intoxication
7. Golden Platitudes
8. I Think I've Found It
9. A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun
   
10. All We Make Is Entertainment
11. The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever
12. Don't Be Evil

In case you haven't got quite enough of the Manics yet, there'll be a documentary this Sunday at 12pm on BBC 6 Music. The band will be revealing the pivotal moments and songs that shaped their lives and their careers. It'll also be the first chance to hear new tracks "Auto Intoxication" and "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun".

"Postcards From A Young Man" is released on the 27th of September
"(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love" is released on the 13th of September
Manic Street Preachers kick off their tour in support of the album on the 29th of September in Glasgow.