Thunder And Consolation

EMI, 1989

New Model Army’s masterpiece: the perfect collision of folk, punk and straight-down-the-line rock.

The presence of legendary producer Tom Dowd was an indication of the band’s intent to push themselves out of the pigeonhole they’d been stuffed into, an ambition that manifests in the breadth of Rob Heaton and Justin Sullivan’s songwriting.

It contains two stone-cold NMA classics in Vagabonds and Green And Grey, both given extra depth by Ed Alleyne-Johnson’s evocative violin. Elsewhere the propulsive 225 crackles with kinetic energy.

As perfect an album as they’ve made.