The Courteeners: Anna

Three years in the making, Anna sees the Manchester band embarking on a new direction. The good news is that they do appear to have received the memo to the effect that mid-paced lad-rock is out.
Taking heed, Liam Fray & Co. have embraced elements of electronica and synth, and veered ever so slightly from the well-trodden path of previous albums Falcon and St. Jude.
Their stadium ambitions haven’t diminished, though. On ‘Welcome To The Rave’ and opener ‘Are You In Love With A Notion?’ there are enough ‘woah-oh-oh’s’ to challenge even a Coldplay greatest hits set.
There are moments that give hope for the future: ‘Van Der Graaff’ is majestic, and ‘Lose Control’ is interesting and leaves you wanting more. But Anna fails to deliver beyond the opening five tracks. The Courteeners’ quest for greatness continues...