To some, these Welsh indie stalwarts might seem like faceless remnants of the post Britpop era – just one of a dozen of like-minded indie guitar-pop outfits who barely rose beyond cult status, despite no shortage of strong singles. But few can deny Feeder’s longevity and determination in the face of tragedy (drummer Jon Lee committed suicide in 2002). Their persistence finally paid off on 2001’s Echo Park, with the hit single ‘Buck Rogers’.
This, Feeder’s sixth studio album and first since the half-million selling compilation The Singles, may well be the group’s best ever, such is the strength of the songs on offer.
The opening track and current single ‘We Are The People’ combines a driving guitar attack and swelling bass with an anthemic chorus – all of which makes it sound a tad like a speeded-up version of U2’s ‘With Or Without You’. The title-track boasts a similarly Adam Clayton-esque bass line (clearly The Joshua Tree is buried somewhere in their record collections).
The fast-paced rifferama that is ‘Miss You’ (a download single last year) is a terrific example of what they do best, which is take a fairly bog standard riff/melody and make it more than the sum of its parts. Elsewhere, the muscular ‘Itsumo’ recalls the Americana of The Hold Steady, ‘Heads Held High’ showcases a more mellow acoustic side and they even demonstrate a pop sensibility on ‘Guided By A Voice.’
Feeder are lined up for a slew of festival appearances this summer, including Oxegen. They will be well worth checking out, as these songs are likely to go down a storm in a live setting.

Key Track: ‘MISS YOU’