La Tristesse Durera

MANIC STREET PREACHERS: 'La Tristesse Durera' (Columbia)

"I am just a fashion accessory!" screams James Dean Bradfield. And not a very fashionable one at that, if the free poster included with the 12-inch is anything to go by. Best thing about the poster, incidentally, is that while it's ostensibly in colour, the only shades visible are black (the mascara of Richey and Nicky, James' beret) and sickly white (everyone's complexion). 'La Tristesse Durera' (translation: we are pretentious) starts off with James crooning sweetly, and explodes into a fully-fledged rock monster before your very ears. The whole song hangs on one riff, admittedly, but at least it's a riff they can play.