Bangkok--Feb 17--Sony Music
It might be their fifth album, but Stereophonics view Language. Sex. Violence. Other? with the same excitement as a debut record.
It’s a little under two years since You Gotta Go There To Come Back — Stereophonics’ third consecutive Number One album — and the band have been busy touring America, supporting David Bowie and writing and recording. There’s a new member — Javier Weyler, who replaces Stuart Cable on drums — new working practises, and, a new, super-affirmative attitude. ‘This band is so positive right now,’ says Kelly. ‘We’ve made the most exciting record we possibly could.’
Indeed they have. Language. Sex. Violence. Other? is a magnificent album. Eleven tracks. All killer, no filler. The band agreed they wanted to make something that was very different from their last album. Something that captured the listener straight away, but something that also had a lot of depth. The song titles would all be one word. It would have the energy of their first album, 1997’s Word Gets Around, but it would use production tricks Stereophonics had learned along their way to becoming one of Britain’s most successful rock bands. It would be a very modern record.
Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, then. The title comes from the classification code used on the back of DVDs, and Kelly wondering if it meant that everything could be broken down into those four categories or, as he says, ‘is there something more?’
And so lead-off single ‘Dakota’ is up there with the very best Stereophonics songs — a happy-sad hook that grabs you and doesn’t let go. ‘Doorman’ is an energetic, sarcastic romp with Kelly in full joker mode. And the punchy ‘Superman’ is a classic modern rocker, the first song Kelly wrote for the LP, leading him to think: ‘Oh fuck. That’s great. Now I’ve got to write another nine of them!’
Language. Sex. Violence. Other? comes with special artwork by renowned graphic illustrator Graham Rounthwaite, and marks another first for the band.
The full tracklisting is as follows: Superman; Doorman; Brother; Devil; Dakota; Rewind; Pedalpusher; Girl; Lolita; Deadhead; Feel.
Check out the band on www.stereophonics.com or www.languagesexviolenceother.com
For more info call Kas on 020 8354 4111 or email [email protected]
Stereophonics formed in Cwmaman, south Wales in 1996. They immediately marked themselves out as songwriters of distinction with singles like ‘Local Boy In The Photograph’ (1998), ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ (1999), ‘Mr Writer’ (2001) and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ (2003).
They have released five albums: Word Gets Around (1997), Performance And Cocktails (1999), Just Enough Education To Perform (2001), You Gotta Go There To Come Back (2003) and Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005).
Stereophonics have toured the world and sold in excess of 7 million records. End.