Liberation Transmission
In an age where phrases like "selling out" and "dumbing down" are bandied so freely, it takes a brave band to make a wilfully commercial record. On Liberation Transmission, however, Lostprophets tackle the inevitable cries head on. Those '80s influences that have always simmered under the surface - Duran Duran, The Clash, Depeche Mode - sound more explicit than ever, infused into a sumptuous, glossy rock dynamic seemingly tailor-made for the world's stadiums. Luckily, the songs are good enough to justify their platinum-plated production: triumphant outsider anthem 'Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)' will inevitably become a lighters-out encore favourite, while 'Everyday Combat' and 'New Transmission' confirm the 'Prophets haven't lost their hard edge, rumbling with shrieked battle cries and jagged, addictive guitar riffs. Perhaps the record's most impressive achievement is the massive vocal presence, frontman Ian Watkins merely the conductor to impressive layered harmonies or war-chant choruses - see the mighty 'Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time)', an entertaining assault on fashion-victim mentality that might be the catchiest track here. Says a lot about Liberation Transmission, though, that it's up against some strong competition, on what's undoubtedly the band's strongest album to date. --Louis Pattison