Stereophonics Language. Sex. Violence. Other? Lyrics

Stereophonics' fifth album will inevitably provide more material for the band's critics, if only for the fact its title has clearly been rather lazily inspired from the back of a rental video case. The music within, however, is anything but laid-back: the employment of Argentinean drummer Javier Weyler, who replaces founding member Stuart Cable, sees the band venturing further along the hard-rock path that spawned previous denim-and-leather-clad tracks like "Moviestar". The first three tracks find frontman Kelly Jones is in downbeat mood, his vocals drawled and insouciant, and his lyrics distinctly sour--take the raging "Doorman", where he rails against some faceless bouncer with surprising and rather paranoid ferocity: "You like nothing more than to break my face/ You like to throw me out on the street!". Things sweeten towards the album's middle, providing two of the album's stand-out tracks: the chiming, electronic-tinged "Dakota" is a light, buoyant anthem that deserves to be a hit, while "Rewind" is a reflective moment that pricks memories of mid-period U2. But on the whole, Language. Sex. Violence. Other? isn't an album out to win new fans – it's an album that caters to the Stereophonics' rock faithful, and it's them who'll really dig it. --Louis Pattison