Ranking the records of Manic Street Preachers is no easy task. Each one is filled with great songs and follows its own unique trajectory. They've managed to constantly reinvent themselves without veering too far from the energy and melodies that have made them so beloved. Everything Must Go remains my favorite, a sprawling and beautiful work that found the group working through grief and uncertainty with big, colorful arrangements. It remains a critically-accliamed work and has lost none of its potency. But what would my rankings look like after that? I have to confess: Lifeblood would take second place. I'm well aware that most fans will baulk at that statement. After all, how could other beloved works like The Holy Bible, Send Away the Tigers, or This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours not be next? To be fair, all three of those albums round out my top five, so they sit near the top of the pile. I genuinely believe the Manics have neve...
