84) New Model Army - Thunder and Consolation

New Model Army would regularly appear on Top of the Pops, I would always like the song but would never buy anything by them. A band I always thought were good but shockingly never parted with my money for.

They are still going strong forty-three years into their career and have released fifteen studio albums. Thunder and Consolation was their fourth and was a top twenty hit.

The album opens strongly as keyboards lead us into, I Love the World and then the tempo rises as the band hit the chorus and stomp all over it with loud drums and a shout along chorus.

The band were branching out and expanding their sound with a folk element being introduced as the single Stupid Questions starts with just guitar and Justin Sullivan’s vocals. The chorus and the “hey hey” backing vocals are a severe temptation to air drum at fifty-two years of age, I abstained, just.

Inheritance is just keyboards and drums, its different and enjoyable, not what you would expect from them and Green and Grey is atmospheric rain and thunder with an acoustic guitar before we hit an epic chorus.

Family storms through and the single Vagabonds employs the violin to great effect and the band kick in on an accomplished song that was rightly a hit and still is as fresh today as back then.

When people talk about New Model Army, I am not sure they use the word fun, well the band certainly sound as if that’s exactly what they are having on this thoroughly enjoyable record. I should have bought this album back in 1989.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Vagabonds