Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire tried to put across ''a sense of optimism'' in his lyrics for their new album.

The 'Motorcycle Emptiness' rockers are preparing for the release of their 13th LP 'Resistance Is Futile', and the band's lyricist has admitted the words are almost a protest to the state of the world at the moment.

He explained to NME magazine: ''On the single ['International Blue'] and the whole album, there are a lot of mini tributes to things that make your life feel a little bit better.

''Rather than my internalised misery, I tried to put a sense of optimism into the lyrics by writing about things that we find really inspiring.''

Wire has insisted the new record isn't an escape from the world, and is more a case of taking inspiration from the positive things, rather than getting bogged down with ''total negativity'', as the band have done in the past.

He said: ''I wouldn't go as far as to call it 'escapist', but it does feel like we're building our own world. It goes back to the idea of when we started the band with us four insulating ourselves and germinating ideas.

''It's not about purposefully switching yourself off from the world around you, but just trying to find inspiration. Otherwise you just get swamped in a sea of total negativity - which is fine. It's not like we haven't done that before.''

Wire - who completes the lineup alongside James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore - added that the inspiration also comes from the idea of not writing about his own worldviews and ideals.

He explained: ''I tried to write lyrics outside of myself, rather than internalised opinion and endless judgement. You know, I'm just not that sure of myself any more.

''It's easy to say what you stand against, but it's difficult to say what you stand for. I just wanted to go through the seeds of inspiration that enrich our lives.''