The fact that “Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait” came out towards the end of April means it’s almost exactly 26 years since I saw Stereophonics give one of the great concerts.
Wolverhampton Civic Hall was packed, and when they dropped “Bartender and the Thief” (the single they’d just released) as the second song, everyone knew—knew they were watching a band that was going to be huge.
Fast forward a quarter of a century, and they are just that—and their 13th studio album basically just affirms why.
They aren’t the young rockers who’d gone drinkin’, gone fishin’ anymore (after all, as first song here “Make It On Your Own” notes, “nothing lasts forever”), but oddly, despite what people might think, they’re not that far apart either. Yes, there are strings and a maturity that might not have been there back then (hell, Kelly Jones is roughly my age and I hope I’m not the same as back then either), but their writing has always focused on the small things that seem so big, and had empathy at its heart.
And you can still spot a Stereophonics song a mile off. “There’s Always Gonna Be Something” navigates its way through the 21st century and sounds exactly like it should.
“Seems Like You Don’t Know Me” pops off down a pop road but does it so cleverly—and these boys have always been able to make a hook seem huge.
That’s even true on the lovely acoustics of “Colours of October”—another with superb use of strings—and when they balance it out with a mighty groove like “Eyes Too Big For My Belly” (which The Black Keys would be proud of, although I’m not sure they’ve ever written the line “up and down like a robber’s dog”)—they are truly exceptional.
They are, as ever, in a reflective mood. “Mary Is a Singer” does that brilliantly, and the organ and harmonica mix really sees it fly.
“Backroom Boys” continues the vibe and is arguably the highlight of the record. Surely autobiographical, it could only be written by someone who has lived a life entwined with rock ’n’ roll.
Only eight songs long, it ends with a gorgeous ballad, “Feeling of Falling We Crave.” With tinges of Americana about it, it shows how they’ve pushed the boundaries over the years.
“Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait” is a superb record by a superb band. And if they’ll never be the same band as they were on those first two albums, then what makes this so special is that it’s not trying to be. It’s trying to sound like the same band—just right now. Its authenticity is its remarkable strength.
Rating: 9/10
REVIEW: STEREOPHONICS – MAKE ‘EM LAUGH, MAKE ‘EM CRY, MAKE ‘EM WAIT (2025)
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