Review NEW MODEL ARMY ‘Sinfonia’

New Model Army are a unique band and their success over the decades speaks volumes. Bandleader Justin Sullivan has always managed to reshape the sound of the band without questioning or even throwing overboard the typical trademarks of the band’s sound.

My personal first experience with the band was the ‘The Ghost of Cain’ album from 1986 and of course it was hits like ‘I Love the World’, ‘Stupid Questions’ and ‘Vagabonds’ from the ‘Thunder and Consolation’ album which characterized my youth for sure.

With the release of ‘Sinfonia’ another exciting piece of work by New Model Army has just been released. This time, however, it is not a studio album, but a live recording from the year 2022. Sullivan and band joined forces with the Sinfonia Leipzig Orchestra under the direction of Cornelius During to give the band’s songs a slightly different guise. Presented at the Tempodrom in Berlin, it is a milestone in the collaboration between band and orchestra. The two parties complement and complete each other and do not compete for dominance.

The orchestra starts with an ‘Overture’ before the first song ‘Devil’s Bargain’ starts a unique evening. A total of twenty songs are presented, all of which can be found on ‘Sinfonia’.

The setlist shows the entire creative output of New Model Army up to the present day. With ‘1984’ a song from the debut is represented while ‘Passing Through’ comes from the latest studio album ‘From Here’. Thus, the live album showcases forty years of New Model Army and is more than a retrospective.

‘Sinfonia’ shows the uniqueness of the band and even if they are four decades in business, also the newer tracks still sound fresh and fit in brilliantly with the classics like ‘Vagabonds’ but also ‘Purity’. It goes without saying that especially ‘Vagabonds’ is made for an orchestral version, which is a sparkling moment of the album at this point. The fact that some of the tracks have been rearranged comes from the nature of things, which gives songs like ‘Green and Grey’ additional depth.

‘Sinfonia’ is an album that is exceptional and therefore fits New Model Army in a perfect way. It is a team effort that you can hear and feel from beginning to end. Concert and album connects people and ignites passion and enthusiasm. Held together by Sullivan’s distinctive voice, ‘Sinfonia’ is a release that no good record collection should be without.