CD: ATKA311
RELEASED: 2005
LABEL: Attack

01. Water
02. BD 3
03. Prayer Flags
04. Carlisle Road
05. Red Earth
06. Too Close to the Sun
07. Bluebeat
08. Another Imperial Day
09. LS43
10. Island
11. Fireworks Night

Twenty-five year British music vets New Model Army continue to merge earnest, working class punk and folkish Northern Soul flair to good effect on “Carnival”. Starting off with a soulful and philosophical sojourn into the subject matter of needless bickering; ‘Water’ that slowly crashes around your mind. Justin Sullivan’s scything poignancy and emotion packed vocals that come to the fore against a backdrop of sliding, new wave guitars and clattering percussion in ‘BD3’ and the worrisome ‘Carlisle Road’. The Stranglers feel to ‘Prayer Flags’, provides the perfect forum for the poetically worried and edgy lyrics; A haunting feeling is exuded in ‘Red Earth’ that possesses a neat thumping jungle beat punctuating Sullivan’s piercing points, as his vocals and the musical slow down, but you feel the anger rising like a steaming volcanoe, while you hear of, and join in, a search for faith. New Model Army really dig deep on this offering to explore a wide range of sounds and topics. The death of drummer and songwriter Robert Heaton, last year ago hit them hard and while the album is quite insular in places, it is not hard to empathise with this enthralling and ardent rock group.

Influences / Similar Artists:
Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Mission, The Sound