ALBUM REVIEW: Sinfonia – New Model Army
Since their formation in 1980, NEW MODEL ARMY have been creating a sound that is extremely difficult to pin down, and impossible to be replicated, gaining them a loyal following who have stayed with them for over 40 years. Through 15 albums, they have continuously pushed through creative boundaries and always found a way to introduce something new, and their latest release Sinfonia is no different.
It’s a live recording from their concert in Berlin in 2022, with the full orchestra of the Sinfonia Leipzig. While they are typically a classical orchestra conducted by Cornelius Daring, their composer Shir-Ran Yinon has collaborated with the band in the past, and this particular adventure seems to have been a long time coming. Here, many of the tracks from the band’s entire catalogue are reimagined with an orchestra, and are brought to life once again with the aim to blend genres and look at the much-loved songs in a slightly different way.
Opening the concert is the overture, which begins with a calming, beautiful sound and quickly becomes more dramatic and tense as it progresses and drums are introduced. NEW MODEL ARMY are known for their ability to tell a story through their music, and this is already apparent in the sounds from the orchestra. By the time the opening notes of Devil’s Bargain come in, that distinctly NEW MODEL ARMY sound with an incredible classical depth is introduced. Intensive drums come in, and vocalist Justin Sullivan’s voice echoes through the concert hall and immediately commands attention. The strings bring a new depth, and the intensity keeps increasing throughout the track. As it ends, it is clear that the orchestra is already bringing the songs to a new, more beautiful level. Sullivan introduces the band at the end of the track, and throughout the album, he discusses the origin behind some of the songs, which adds a really personal touch.
Throughout the concert the band play play a mixture of older and newer material, and they range from atmospheric, calming soundscapes to upbeat, light-hearted songs to dance to, as well as a darker, more relentless sound. The full orchestra packs a new level of emotion into each song, and oftentimes feels as if it was always supposed to be there. Innocence especially stands out, with the urgency of the strings aligning with clapping from the crowd, creating something really special. Winter is one of those tracks that sounds as if it should always be accompanied by a full orchestra, and the depth and weight that is already present in the song is nothing but amplified here.
As Sullivan introduces 1984, he states, “This is a piece of English social history, but I think it translates to everywhere, especially in this day and age,” bringing a new life to the song, and that heavy sarcasm and vitriol that the original version carries comes through. Towards the end, some of the NEW MODEL ARMY classics are played, such as Vagabonds and Green And Grey. Interestingly here they don’t differ too far from the original tracks, and while it is lovely that they keep that classic sound to the well-loved songs, it could have been interesting to see how they might have been experimented with.
While there was clearly an insane amount of hard work and talent that went into the making of this album, the orchestra sounds almost effortless, and fits in perfectly to many of the songs that are already conceptual soundscapes. If the aim for Sinfonia was to enhance and revisit their previous material, and sometimes look at the songs from a different perspective, then NEW MODEL ARMY and Sinfonia Leipzig have exceeded those expectations and more.
Rating: 9/10
Sinfonia is out now via earMUSIC.
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