Journal for Plague Lovers Journal for Plague Lovers Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released in May 2009 by record label Columbia. Recorded between October 2008 and February 2009 and produced by Steve Albini and Dave Eringa, it features exclusively posthumous-published lyrics by Richey Edwards, who disappeared on 1 February 1995 and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album in which the lyrics for every song were written solely by Edwards. The album received a very positive critical reception and debuted at number 3 in the UK
Manic Street Preachers title track and "The Guerilla Tapestry". Bradfield plays guitar on both songs. Furthermore, the track "Hiraeth" features a section called "Spoken Word", in which Nicky Wire talks about Welsh identity. In February 2006, the band contributed a cover version of "The Instrumental" to the album "Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides". In February 2008, the Manics covered Rihanna's hit pop song "Umbrella". Their version appeared on a CD titled "NME Awards 2008" given away free with a special souvenir box-set issue of "NME" magazine, which went on sale 27 February. Additionally, the Manics' version of the song was