Arriving hot on the heels of their huge commercial success Graffiti On The Train, Stereophonics’ ninth album sees them once again adopt an “if it ain’t broke” ethos. Intended as something of a “second volume” to the aforementioned outing, Britpop’s last men standing have crafted a record which is likely to be ignored by the critics but adored by their long-time fans. It’s business as usual for the Welsh rockers.
They open with the snotty, Faces-esque stomp of ‘C’est La Vie’ a fiery and frenetic song that might have been lifted from their still thrilling debut Word Gets Around, not least the defiant refrain of “We don’t belong anywhere.” That’s a hard act to follow, but there are lots of good things peppered throughout. ‘Song For The Summer’ is a beautiful, string-laden waltz which boasts some career-best vocals from Kelly Jones; ‘Sunny’ is a killer, glam rock bop boasts some squealing guitars; and the U2-mining ‘White Lies’ is a sure-fire live favourite. Though Keep The Village Alive doesn’t quite match the excitement of their first two records, it’s still a solid offering from the band.