**1/2 Manic Street Preachers

THIS IS MY TRUTH TELL ME YOURS

(Virgin)

The Manics' success in their native Britain is astounding. Really. This album, released there last fall, is their second in a row to sweep the Brit Awards (the UK Grammys). Even Nostradamus couldn't have predicted such a rosy future for the group at the beginning of the decade, when they first busted out of Wales as a leftist Guns N' Roses.

Like many anguished-but-aging hard-rockers, though, the Manics have softened over time. Beginning with their 1996 release, Everything Must Go, and continuing on This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, the band have toned down both the guitar assaults and the political overtones of their early work in favor of so many lilting, soul-searching ballads. Singer James Dean Bradfield, who assumed the spotlight when tortured guitarist Richey Edwards "disappeared" in 1995, has one hell of a voice, a rich tenor that carries the band even when the music plods, which too often is the case. The disc's biggest thrills, "Tsunami" and "You Stole the Sun from My Heart," are its only uptempo tracks. And when the Manics drag out the political manifestos of old ("If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next," a UK #1), they sound more like U2 than their idols the Clash. Still, everything here is heartfelt, and much of it is genuinely moving -- which is more than you can say for your average NME hype.

-- Sean Richardson