Someone had it rough
My favorite working class rock outfit, the Stereophonics, have just released their 4th LP, "You Gotta Go There To Come Back." in the UK (with no US release date in sight). I hate buying imports when a domestic release should have sufficed... but anyways...
"You Gotta Go..." has tossed me into confusion. Like most Stereophonics records, Kelly Jones sings his heart out: on tune and damn raspy, but this is more than raspy. Either Kelly's cigarette intake before each session grew or this man was awfully sad during the sessions (interviews point to the latter).

"You Gotta Go There To Come Back" is a tale of a man trying to regain trust in a woman. Its unclear if 'he' ever does.

Kelly and boys buried their 'walk and talk lyrical style' for a gripping 'heart in the back of the mouth' sound. in "Climbing the Walls" I hear some hope of a turnaround but it is obvious from its position on the LP that the mood of the record is to move from anger to sadness.
"I Miss You Now" finds honest vocals overdubbed on top of an agonizing Kelly humming heartlessly through it. Its a difficult record to stomach...

With the exception of two tracks on this album, its a full unleashing of heart and emotion, never before heard from the Phonics. Kelly obviously got fucked up big from personal issues and it can be heard easily from start to finish. Some overproduction on tracks like "I'm Alright" initially sound unneeded, but only help to add to sound they wanted.

Three tracks on this record feel disconnected from the full record. "Help Me," "High As a Ceiling," and "Madame Helga (a single)." Their positions simply break up the flow. Removing them from the CD playlists really helps keep the intended emotion running.

To V2: "JEEP's" sales sucked in the US. but the fall of 2001 was bad for everyone. Release this record in the USA. It's deserving. The Phonics has a fan base in the US. Their sellout gigs in NA alone show that.