Customer Reviews

Eight

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

NMA prove once again that they have further refined their unique music style through the years wíthout losing their enthralling vigor and riveting grip on the souls of the listener.

By far NMA are taking much effort and attention for every song they put out (even their B-side collections like "Lost Songs" are outstanding in many ways). I dont share all of their political thoughts as I am more optimistic regarding the ability of the western world to cope with the challenges ahead.

Nevertheless their lyrics are a class of its own - unmatched by comparable alternative rock acts.

The songs on Eight are:

"Flying through the smoke" - a spell binding folk rock track gathering gradually in momentum and exposed fury till it bursts into a final explosion - disturbing and absorbing at the same time.
5 out of 5

"You weren't there" is a ballad carried by a quite simple but nevertheless atmospherically tense organ-like keyboard tune. The lyrics are dealing with the gap between media reality and hands-on experiences. A catchy slow track, but losing a little bit its magic by hearing it again and again.
4,5 out of 5

"Orange tree road" displays the romantic power and vitality of NMA at its peak. The song comes along like a 4 minute road movie - fast and emotionally engrossing. Once again the rather sweet though dynamic melody is brought by a earshrapnelling organ-keyboard tune, which fastens its grip the more you listen. The lyrics deal with memories of lost love, dedication, renewal and life being an endless journey. One of the best songs NMA has ever written.
5 out of 5

"Someone like Jesus" is a spartanically instrumented ballad, which didnt get a grip on me at first. But dont underestimate this song, appearing still on the súrface, but exposing a dark yet fasicnating realm of sound and word the further you are diving into it. I got more and more - literally !- soaked into this song and came to appreciate it as one of the best elaborates NMA has created so far. The lyrics deal with the sinister side of sanity.
5 out of 5

"Stranger" and "R&R" are more or less average stuff for NMA benchmarks. Good rock tracks anyway, but I miss the special enchantment the other songs enfold so impressively.
3-3.5 out of 5

"Snelsmore Wood" was pubslihed before as a live track on "&nobody else". Both versions dont differ much, though I prefer the tense atmosphere of the live act. The song is first just filled with the permeating voice of Justin and the rough sound of the acoustic guitar. In this track actually Justin reaches a level where he directly penetrates into ones mind - really invading in every aspect! The song eventually erupts in an e-guitar solo dripping into the melody like a chain of raw diamants. The track stands paradigmatically for NMA finding a highly exciting synthesis between a raw, unfiltered and emotionally tense sound.
5 out of 5

"Peakakriki beach" fits well as some kind of relaxing exercise. Sound and lyrics unit to a hymn for a more peaceful place "away from the battlefields" of life.
4 out of 5

"Leeds Road 5am" is a story-telling folk rock song reminding me of some of the works on Springsteen's "Nebraska".
4 out of 5

"Mixam" has an infectious groove line, but dealing with NMAs favorite topics (blind mankind tumbles further to the apocolypse), which sometimes get a little bit annoying to be honest.
3,5 out of 5

"Wipe out" is the dignified closing track of the album and a stirring poem to the sea, kind of redemption song. The guitars are oscillating between soft chords and rougher uptempo, again NMA at its best.
4.5 out of 5

So to sum up...a strong buy :-)

NMA over the last 5 years can't have been the happiest band in the world. Lead singer Justin almost died on stage by electricution. Now ex-drummer Robert had a brain tumour removed. And still the vast majority of the British musical establishment ingore their impact on UK and Europeon political-rock culture.

This album really sees NMA returning back to the days of an album representing their sheer passion they feel about music, life and Yorkshire! Much like Ghost of Cain, this album is honest. Even though I have been well into NMA for years it is true to say that over-production has been a part of some of their albums. If you have seen them live over the years then you'll know what I mean.

Raw passion comes out of this album and I must say, if you have never got into NMA even after 20 years, the time is now!

New Model Army cannot be discussed without mention of 1988's THUNDER AND CONSOLATION, which remains the most unsung masterpiece in rock history. Everything that they have done since has been compared to it, to the detriment of those releases. It's human nature to say "this is not as good as that", and comparisons of EIGHT to T&C are bound to occur.

Set those comparisons aside for the moment. Purge "Vagabonds" and "Stupid Questions" from your mind and listen to EIGHT on its own merits. Some of Justin's best material ever is here. "Flying Through The Smoke", with its tribal drumming and layered percussion, sounds like the club that Justin is describing. The drum breaks and sudden attack of the guitar add a fantastic tension and drama. "You Weren't There" should be required listening for all television news employees the world over -- a logial follow-up to the brilliant "Deadeye" (the b-side to "Vagabonds", and a classic all its own). "Paekakariki Beach" is wonderfully serene; "Leeds Road 3AM" shivers and quakes its way into your mind; "Mixam" is the sound of youthful defiance tempered by the experience of encroaching middle age; and I'm not sure that I have the vocabulary to adequately describe or pay homage to "Snelsmore Wood" (an NMA classic if there ever was one, and one that sounded even better on NMA's recent 2004 US acoustic tour).

Please don't compare this to THUNDER AND CONSOLATION. Nothing at all compares to THUNDER AND CONSOLATION. This album is as good, and in some cases better, than anything else they have done, and this is saying a great deal. EIGHT is a truly wonderful album - do not miss out on this one.

The main impact of NMA is that the songs tell a story, and that the music always sets the tone for that story. It's this blend, and Justin's strong delivery that drives the songs in "Eight." And drives them straight into you mind, so that you're left to ponder them long after the CD has ended, and leaves you wanting to fire it up again and again. And unlike most CD's these days, if there's a loser song in the bunch, I haven't heard it. So why not a five star rating? I suppose because "Thunder and Consolation" is still my all time favorite. But this is right there.

I was disappointed greatly by this record when it was released in 2000, but it has grown on me. It's kind of meandering, mellowed and directionless (by NMA standards), with borderline junky production (sub-par drum sound and thin overall tone). Of course, even the worst New Model Army records are better than most albums out there. I of course highly recommend this thing -- Justin Sullivan is still one of the best songwriters on the planet, but on Eight, his first effort without longtime drummer Robert Heaton, he flounders a touch. Buy this album, but if you're new to the band buy a couple other ones first - namely Thunder and Consolation, The Ghost of Cain, or even Carnival. Only essential track is You Weren't There.

Awesome, not their greatest album but blows away what you hear on the radio--smart music.

Wow. When I first played this cd I literally became speechless. I have been a fan of NMA since 1986 and I recommend each and every one of their releases for different reasons. Simply put, EIGHT blew me away. It is, in my opinion, one of their very best and no one should pass this up.

If you have the chance to lay your hand on this album don't hesiatate, take it, NMA is like a good wine, giving their best when aged. The only thing which is sad is that they didn't give us a new album since this one, even if Justin Sullivan did...

All I can say is that I've been a fan of New Model Army for about 15+ years and unlike many other bands, they get better with age. Never ones to rest on their laurels, NMA don't pull any punches with hidden meanings in their songs, which I think is why they don't appeal to the mainstream radio listeners. I'm sure their views on religion alone (Soemone Like Jesus) probably do a good turn offending the timid. I feel that this album is probably their best work in a while, although EVERY release is worth owning, although as I've found is a little pricey due to import costs.