NEW MODEL ARMY - No Rest For The Wicked 1985

Second album by New Model Army from Bradford and it is the band's first release on a major label and their last featuring bassist and founding member Stuart Morrow. Whilst having their roots in Punkrock, the band have always been difficult to categorise. Their fight against injustice, war or political grievances they make clear in their lyrics and they also skilfully translate them into melodic songs, and they've been doing it since 1980.

"Sacrificing the experimental Post-Punk doodling that worked so well within defined songs on the first LP Vengeance strangely enough works here for this incredible band that won't hear any malarkey about how bad second LPs are supposed to be. A more direct approach works wonders, rendering every song a possible single, every one a flaming, emotion-wracked foray into human thoughts, customs, and politics. And Justin got some unparalleled British lyrics for this kind of statement-oriented music and tremendous songwriting on side one. "There is no rest for the wicked ones," he sings, like a saddened preacher, a sentiment you see again on the terrific 'Drag It Down', like a guy standing at the edge of a pointless fray wondering why human beings are always so stupid. But he's also capable of great empathy for the times in England as they are in the 2010s, when so many young people are struggling economically, as 'Young, Gifted & Skint' makes clear. Don't miss 'Grandmother's Footsteps' & 'Ambition', too; you won't hear busier bass playing on a hotfoot U.K. Post-Punk record this year. The evidence here is that New Model Army are getting even better when you might have expected the usual decline, suggesting that Justin is an artist with great ideas you can't exhaust, and all three members have the talent to make it something other than regurgitation." (Jack Rabid)

Over the years, New Model Army have gathered a wide selection of fans, many of whom dedicatedly follow the band. Originally calling themselves "The Militia", after the song "Christian Militia", they later universally adopted the term "The Family" for their multi-generational and gendered group. - Great Record!

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