New Manics on the way

They might have gone on "hiatus" back in 2011, but the Manic Street Preachers clearly haven't spent the time since kicking back on a tropical beach somewhere, cocktail in hand.

Lead singer James Dean Bradfield has confirmed that, not only do they have new material that's nearly good to go, they actually have 35 tracks, making for two albums' worth.

The first LP is nearly finished being mixed and is acoustic, though he tells the NME that: "It's not Campfire Street Preachers, we're not banging boxes or anything. The lead track sounds like a mix between 'Rocks Off'-era Stones and Vegas-era Elvis."

The second is "spikier and shinier", dealing lyrically with Europe. "The landscape of Europe, the malaise of Europe, the malaise of us Brits not feeling part of it. We're not talking like the Tories, don't worry – there's not a song where we opt out of Europe. The lead track is me singing half in English and half in German."

No release date has yet been confirmed for either, but it sounds like MSP activity is imminent.