Post-punk pioneers New Model Army celebrate 30 years this year with a collection of ‘hits’ old and new, and whilst they may not be a household name, their influence can definitely be heard on modern music.
There’s a little Smiths, a little Clash and even a whiff of Billy Bragg throughout this compilation. Surprisingly it’s their older tracks that still sound the most fresh. 'Vengeance' is as good a track as any to kick off their anthology, with its relentless rhythm section and biting lyrics a good indicator of the band’s sound. 'Masterrace', 'Purity' and 'Vagabonds' are also some of the key highlights, and all were released before the half-way point in this prolific groups’ career.
Lyrically, Justin Sullivan is politically unwavering from the first record, 'Vengeance', to their most recent, 'Today is a Good Day'. The latter’s title track sums up the band’s rebellious streak with lyrics such as ‘These rules are not agreed...they don’t apply to me.”
This left-wing, anti-imperialist stance perhaps limited this band’s progress to a degree, particularly as they are often barred from entering the United States to tour. Wherever you stand, Sullivan’s lyrics are a definite strong point and whilst his fierce rhetoric can be misunderstood, they must at least be treated as poetry at least.
Musically, it is the tracks with a more eastern tinge or a strings arrangement that tend to stand out on this very extensive collection. The band themselves must be given credit for this, as they themselves hand-picked the tracklist themselves. Rather than sound needlessly long or overdone, this compilation is reasonably accessible for new listeners, given that they don’t power through all 30 tracks in one go.
I’d highly recommend New Model Army’s Anthology as a starting point to the band, particularly to more open-minded music fans.
Stereoboard Album Rating: 8/10
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
Lyrically, Justin Sullivan is politically unwavering from the first record, 'Vengeance', to their most recent, 'Today is a Good Day'. The latter’s title track sums up the band’s rebellious streak with lyrics such as ‘These rules are not agreed...they don’t apply to me.” 
