New Model Army
Carnival Limited Edition White Vinyl
- Format: 2 x 12" LP
- Condition: New, in original packaging
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Label: earMUSIC
- Year of publication: 2020
- Special features: Gatefold cover, white vinyl
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“In New Model Army's long history, the albums between 2000 and 2009 are the least talked about today,” says bandleader Justin Sullivan. “It was a strange time for us. Partly because we had to find ourselves again after the departure (and eventual death) of Robert (Heaton) and the 'Strange Brotherhood' era in the '90s. “Eight” (from 2000) was already a direct response to the latter, a 'primitive' album, not much more than a collection of demos quickly put together by Michael (Dean), Dean (White) and myself. “Carnival” was very different: Ambitiously designed as a kind of eclectic, whirling sound carousel, it was the beginning of my creative partnership with Michael - with an endless stream of new ideas from Nelson, Dean and Dave (Blomberg).
Maybe we chose the wrong producer back then in Chris Tsangarides. He wasn't made to control and direct our chaos; and things were only made more complicated by the frequent absences of Nelson and Dave (who was in the process of leaving the band for family reasons). We always felt that Carnival was the album where the recording sessions, mixing and mastering never did the songs justice.
When earMUSIC offered to license the album and plan a reissue, we discovered four associated tracks (B-sides and unreleased recordings) and saw our chance to reinvent Carnival from the ground up."
The band handed over the original recordings to Lee Smith, the co-producer and mixer of their most recent works, including last year's hit album "From Here", which achieved the band's highest chart placement to date in Germany and the UK, and "Carnival" was reborn. With a sound that is noticeably sharper, more defined, more powerful and more cohesive than the 2005 release.
Fittingly, 'Carnival' still begins with a birth ('Water' uses the ultrasound of Michael's first son) and ends with a death in 'Fireworks Night' - dedicated to Robert Heaton, who died in 2004 during the album's recording. But the order of the songs was still changed significantly due to the four additional tracks and the new dynamics of the material. Written by Sullivan for the theater tour of Freeborn John, Rev Hammer's concept album, 'Rumour and Rapture 1650' tells the story of a disillusioned Parliamentary Army soldier. 'Caslen (Christmas)' was initially instrumental, recorded by Nelson on acoustic guitar, and has now been expanded with lyrics by Sullivan. 'One Bullet' and 'Stoned, Fired and Full of Grace' are known to fans of the band as live acoustic songs, but they appear on "Carnival" as previously unreleased versions recorded by the entire band. In addition, New Model Army devote themselves to other, varied topics on "Carnival": the explosive 'Red Earth' is inspired by their trip to Africa in 2004, while the hip hop-influenced 'Another Imperial Day' is an early study of the refugee crisis and the Bradford Riots of 2001 are discussed in the song ' Carlisle Road' from the unusual perspective of a tired police officer. 'Bluebeat' impresses with its original, experimental use of orchestral sounds and 'Too Close to the Sun', 'BD3' and 'Island' have hammering rhythms. In keeping with the leitmotif of reinvention, Joolz Denby, artist and long-time companion of the band, has reworked the 2005 album cover and other illustrations for this new edition.
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