'A late career high’ was one review I read of New Model Army’s 12th studio album, ‘Between Dog & Wolf’. It certainly is a career high, I just hope it’s not too late! The last few albums have had their trademark moments of passion, fury and romance, but this latest offering is something special. With its’ haunting lyrics, tribal beats and ethereal sounds it is a beautiful serenade – albeit dark and brooding at times – to life, love and loss.
Some people just don’t seem to ‘get’ New Model Army. As the years have gone by they have taken pride in not being pigeon holed into any musical genre - they do not have hits or much radio play (at least not so much here in the UK, in Germany and other parts of Europe they are much more popular.) But once under your skin, the music, the stories they tell in their songs – the passion – is infectious and bewitching. After many years, despite having what I consider a broad musical taste, New Model Army are still my favourite. And there’s nothing out there at the moment that is going to knock them off the pedestal I have put them on – not just yet, at least.
Thousands of other NMA fans would agree, and it is exciting to see a varied age range pile into the Forum on a cold autumn night. Many of these fans have followed them across the UK, whilst the diehard have tagged along with them across Europe, and have done for many years.
The band has slowly morphed and changed over the years, though but for the new addition of Ceri Monger (still in his 20’s) the current line-up has played together for sometime and several albums now. There is a cohesiveness that is evident in the seemingly effortless way they play together. At the helm - as has always been - is Justin Sullivan, a fantastic lyricist and gifted in knowing a decent tune. He’s getting on a bit now (not quite as old as a Rolling Stone, mind) but only barely lacks the exuberance and zeal of his younger days. If anything, the years he has sown have produced a more spiritual and reflective edge that speaks to the soul.
New Model Army are proud of their new album. (Incidentally, in the midst of creating it their studio burnt down - hundreds of hours of old recordings and mixes from the decades before were lost – and what instruments survived were stolen from one of their tour vans last year.) It is only right that they get to show off the new material on this tour. The new songs were more than welcomed and the ‘Army’ or 'Family' (the most dedicated) have already well adopted them - standing on shoulders, belting out the lyrics and writhing amid the smoke and the lights as if offering each song back to some ancient gods.
A guy at the bar giving his opinion commented as to how the new songs don’t quite marry with the old songs in a live set. I didn’t agree and certainly tonight, the band chose a careful blend of old and new. We were still treated to such ‘classics’ as are Archway Towers, Here Comes The War, No Rest, Wonderful Way To Go, Modern Times, Vengeance and Green and Grey. But for me, the ‘new’ songs – March in September, Did You Make it Safe, Between Dog and Wolf, Summer Moors – are as strong and as beautiful as anything they have done before.
I so hope that this is not the end. I hope that this is a springboard into something fresh and exciting, and I eagerly look forward to singing my lungs out at least a few more times before the fire and the fury burn out.
And luckily Music-News.com got to have a chat with the musical legend himself before the show. The editor saw fit to keep the pre and post e-cigarette debate in (the crotch shot was just incidental).
Some people just don’t seem to ‘get’ New Model Army. As the years have gone by they have taken pride in not being pigeon holed into any musical genre - they do not have hits or much radio play (at least not so much here in the UK, in Germany and other parts of Europe they are much more popular.) But once under your skin, the music, the stories they tell in their songs – the passion – is infectious and bewitching. After many years, despite having what I consider a broad musical taste, New Model Army are still my favourite. And there’s nothing out there at the moment that is going to knock them off the pedestal I have put them on – not just yet, at least.
Thousands of other NMA fans would agree, and it is exciting to see a varied age range pile into the Forum on a cold autumn night. Many of these fans have followed them across the UK, whilst the diehard have tagged along with them across Europe, and have done for many years.
The band has slowly morphed and changed over the years, though but for the new addition of Ceri Monger (still in his 20’s) the current line-up has played together for sometime and several albums now. There is a cohesiveness that is evident in the seemingly effortless way they play together. At the helm - as has always been - is Justin Sullivan, a fantastic lyricist and gifted in knowing a decent tune. He’s getting on a bit now (not quite as old as a Rolling Stone, mind) but only barely lacks the exuberance and zeal of his younger days. If anything, the years he has sown have produced a more spiritual and reflective edge that speaks to the soul.
New Model Army are proud of their new album. (Incidentally, in the midst of creating it their studio burnt down - hundreds of hours of old recordings and mixes from the decades before were lost – and what instruments survived were stolen from one of their tour vans last year.) It is only right that they get to show off the new material on this tour. The new songs were more than welcomed and the ‘Army’ or 'Family' (the most dedicated) have already well adopted them - standing on shoulders, belting out the lyrics and writhing amid the smoke and the lights as if offering each song back to some ancient gods.
A guy at the bar giving his opinion commented as to how the new songs don’t quite marry with the old songs in a live set. I didn’t agree and certainly tonight, the band chose a careful blend of old and new. We were still treated to such ‘classics’ as are Archway Towers, Here Comes The War, No Rest, Wonderful Way To Go, Modern Times, Vengeance and Green and Grey. But for me, the ‘new’ songs – March in September, Did You Make it Safe, Between Dog and Wolf, Summer Moors – are as strong and as beautiful as anything they have done before.
I so hope that this is not the end. I hope that this is a springboard into something fresh and exciting, and I eagerly look forward to singing my lungs out at least a few more times before the fire and the fury burn out.
And luckily Music-News.com got to have a chat with the musical legend himself before the show. The editor saw fit to keep the pre and post e-cigarette debate in (the crotch shot was just incidental).
