Recorded on July 3^rd this year when Manic Street Preachers played one of the days that the iTunes festival pulled its hood up and took over the capital, attempting to make innocents part with their cash, this digital-only release was to be my first test since declaring a truce with the modern day Manics.

Recorded at the Roundhouse where, seemingly a lifetime ago, the band filmed their acclaimed 'A Design For Life' music video (albeit in the older guise of the now refurbished venue), this four track EP splits its contents between both eras of the Manics; the older guise and..err..the refurbished one.

Opening with 'Faster' sucks me in. Jesus, I remember buying this single on day of release, invariably, from Woolworths. If you, like me, savoured the multi-format single releases of happy days long since murdered, then this opening track will take you back. Live recordings like this, along with majestic, previously unreleased songs, made the purchase of a double CD set and a 7" picture disc essential. Manic Street Preachers were, for me, up there with The Wildhearts when it came to collecting every damn thing they released. Doubters please listen to 'Donkeys' or '29 X The Pain' before commenting further - thank you. So, yes, 'Faster' takes me back. This new live version is good, very good in fact, in keeping with the fantastic performance I witnessed of it in Cardiff this past May. The next track, though, would be the test...

In fairness, that's a little harsh. 2007's 'Send Away The Tigers', to me at least, showed the band climbing away from their lowest point - musically, of course. 'Autumnsong' wouldn't be my first choice of song to represent that record, and certainly not one of four songs representative of a career, but it appears here in impressive form.

If the last song barely connected with me, the next will have me fingering scars. 'Life Becoming A Landslide' will forever move me, for various reasons, one being that at the time of release the Manics were one of my favourite bands. This live stab at the classic track is great, James Dean Bradfield's voice, as always, cutting through the thick atmosphere like a razor blade.

The last offering here still splits me, like I actually feel guilty for liking something from the band post-Richey. 'The Everlasting', the opening song of 1998's 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours', has become an anthem of sorts to the more modern fan of the band and this live version is thick with feeling, blessed with a hair-prickling audience singalong.

While there remains little to complain about, content or band-wise, with this release, the question is just who will buy it? Completists, if any still exist, for sure. Casual fans, possibly. Attendees of the actual gig in question seem to be most likely to part with their three quid for this. For people like me, digital-only releases like this just make me yearn for the past; I know it isn't coming back but, surely, I don't have to readily accept, and be happy with, the fact that a series of code on my computer is a worthy replacement for a couple of discs littered with exclusive content.

....and with free postcards, obviously....

www.manicstreetpreachers.com