I just had to conduct a very difficult exercise and pick my top twenty albums of the decade. Naturally I started off by looking at the discographies of my favourite bands and seeing what they had released. It was somewhat disheartening to acknowledge the fact that many, had in my opinion, released their best stuff a lot longer ago than the time line I was playing with. New Model Army were one I was quick to look and although I very much like the albums they have brought out since 2000 nothing there was going to make the list like it would have done perhaps 20 years ago. The point of me saying this is the new album ‘Today Is A Good Day.’ This is very much an album that has hit like the old classics. There is a renewed energy and vigour about it, there are some absolutely fantastic songs and it is harder and faster in places than anything the group have done in years. In fact I am going to go out on a limb here and say this has very quickly established itself as my favourite album since 1990 album ‘Impurity’ even in places having the edge over its follow up 1993 album ‘The Love Of Hopeless Causes.’
First thing I noticed was the stark white cover which reminded of ‘Thunder And Consolation’ an album in my top ten ever, perhaps I thought before playing it that they were going back in time a bit here. The first two songs on the new album are among the best the band have ever done. The title track starts with a sample about the recent Wall Street Crash and ‘Today Is A Good Day’ broods in with thick bass line and chunky guitars building up before you are flattened by one of the best anti-capitalist choruses I have heard in ages. There is an unmistakable passion and vigour behind it both with the clanging panic of the Wall Street Bell in the background and Justin Sullivan’s unmistakable vocal clamour. This has one mighty chug about it and is a song that is going to be fantastic to witness live as it gets the ever faithful old guard building human pyramids, which should be a lot more stable than our dodgy economy. After this we have ‘Autumn’ I love this but it is tinged with sadness as the poetic story unfolds into a gloriously and sadly uplifting (you have to hear it for that to make sense) chorus of ‘Everything is beautiful because everything is dying.’ This is perhaps not just about Autumn itself when one reflects that long time friend and manager of the band Tommy Tee died tragically and unexpectedly over Christmas. It’s one hell of a poignant number especially when they bring a whole chorus in to sing the main refrain.
The thing I have always really loved about this band is that every song tells a story and you get a short tale in every song, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the vocals and dream away with the musical narrative. Of the 12 here, every single number takes you off to a different place and it’s always a totally involving one. Carrying on with the sombre tone ‘Peace Is Only’ followed by the words “for the dead and dying” is etched out with a maudlin feel to it before the album takes a more upbeat feel with the bass heavy bounce of ‘States Radio.’ The passion behind this one as it reaches a zenith is really in your face; in fact Marshall Gill even goes as far as to flail out some ‘metal’ guitar licks. A slow down sees a ballad with Justin, acoustic guitar and slow drum beat telling the poetic redeemer ‘God Saves Me,’ a gorgeous airy number with a lovely subtle melody.
It’s difficult not to mention every song on this album but I will do my best and skip to ‘Ocean Rising’ one that many will recognise from its appearance on Justin Sullivan solo album ‘Navigating By The Stars.’ There does seem to be a kind of juxtaposition between fast and slow songs here and the oddly entitled ‘Mambo Queen Of The Sandstone City’ is a quirky one with an almost boogie laden demeanour about it, which is totally infectious. ‘Arm Yourselves And Run’ with those words as the chorus has a kind of English civil War feel to it which again takes me right back into the bands history books in more ways than one. It’s another that is going to quickly have everyone singing along to live.
Today Is A Good enough place to start for anyone who has never heard New Model Army before and it is also an album that should keep the faithful followers happy. Furthermore it should actually have any former fans who went off the boil a bit wondering why they ever doubted the band in the first place and renewing their affection. In a word this is excellent. Check the band out on tour in the USA and Europe between now and December.
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