Stereophonics don't 'Welsh' on heavy blues-rock sounds

At first listen, the new Stereophonics disc immediately made me think, "These boys are British." Despite the fact that I was correct in my assumption, the Welsh rockers set themselves apart from the archetypal brutish guitar and raw vocals that frequently seem to be exported from overseas. The presence of brass and string sections in addition to the existing sounds of a meletron help define the album as a heavy blues-rock record.\nBased solely upon frontman Kelly Jones' personal altercations with life and the world in general, You Gotta Go There to Come Back has honest lyrical blocks that leave the listener comforted or sometimes even burdened. A few tracks have an empathetic tone, which gives the record a personalized style and an intentionally unrehearsed tenor. Jones' genuine emotional discomfort -- portrayed by lyrics as well as some very blues-like guitar riffs -- manifests in listener's ears. "You Stole My Money Honey" is a prime example of a track that displays Jones' biting sentiments.\nListening to the album in its entirety is like the time when you finally find that one sock the dryer ate three years ago. The Phonics' fourth album is that previously relinquished sock; it's like new but it's a tad linty.