CD: 3535072
RELEASED: 2006
LABEL: EMI

01. Frightened
02. Ambition
03. Grandmother's Footsteps
04. Better Than Then
05. My Country
06. No Greater Love
07. No Rest
08. Young, Gifted And Skint
09. Drag It Down
10. Shot 18
11. The Attack

2006 digitally remastered reissue. The main oddity with New Model Army's second studio album is that it doesn't quite sound like the first album despite most of the elements being there. There is something odd about the actual sound of this one, the guitars are muted, even the bass guitar that New Model Army based so much of their earlier sound on is a little weak in the mix. The vocals fare much better, being right at the front, as one would expect of a more lyrical band such as NMA. There are some fine songs here from the accusing 'Frightened' to the sarcastic 'Better Than Them' to the anxious 'No Rest'. A mix of emotion and attitude that, thankfully, not many have tried to imitate, lyrically thoughtful and powerful but retaining the accesibility by not trying to be clever. It's not as great a record as 'The Ghost of Cain' and it doesn't posses that album's clarity of sound, but if you're already hooked on New Model Army and you've missed this one, pick it up as there is many hours of listening pleasure contained within.

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