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Out of 5: ****1/2

Feeder's latest album, 'Comfort in Sound', doesn’t start off well. An electric guitar strums a melody that sounds suspiciously like ‘Wonderwall’ while the vocalist mimics Liam Gallagher’s vocal whine.

But the Oasis influence is thankfully short lived and 'Just the way I’m feeling' develops into a majestic power ballad led by Grant Nicholas’s tortured voice. Feeder’s singer-songwriter-guitarist has never sounded so fragile as his vocals are almost overpowered by the delicate backing of guitars, drums, bass and a swirling string arrangement.

A similar approach is employed even more successfully on the stunning 'Forget about tomorrow'. With lyrics about loss and redemption, the yearning, melodic song clearly finds Nicholas dealing with the 2002 suicide of Feeder member, Jon Lee. Ably replaced by former Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, Lee’s death has nonetheless had a huge impact on the Welsh band.

Gone are the cheerful, sunny pop songs like 2001 hit 'Buck Rogers'. In their place are thoughtful, mature masterpieces echoing the emotions of 'Forget about tomorrow'. Yet, while tracks like the stirring 'Child in you', tender 'Quick Fade' and aching 'Love Pollution' may be slower and more subtle than previous Feeder fare, Nicholas never lets the intensity fall. There are no bloated ballads or dirges of self pity — simply a haunting sense of loss and melody that permeates the entire album.

Perhaps the most beautiful melody of all belongs to 'Moonshine' — a meandering song that closes off ‘Comfort in Sound’. Rising and falling between quiet verses and soaring choruses, it fades out before exploding into a rousing climax of chiming guitars, drums and pleading vocals.

Less beautiful, but equally melodic are the album’s sprinkling of faster, darker songs. The aggressive grunge rock of 'Come Back Around' matches anything that Foo Fighters have produced, while ‘Helium’, with its dirty fuzz guitars and distorted vocals has more memorable hooks than anything currently on the top 40.

And it is probably these melodies that prevent ‘Comfort in Sound’ from being overwhelmed by its subject matter. Underpinned by sadness the album may be, but moments of outright despair are far outnumbered by those of hope. The title track even manages to sound optimistic — its chorus calling for “Comfort in sound/It’s all around/ease back the strain/come heal your pain”.

In healing their pain, Feeder have come up with a superbly moving body of work. Brief Oasis influence notwithstanding, ‘Comfort in Sound’ is one of the best mainstream pop-rock albums to appear since U2’s 'All That You Can’t Leave Behind'.