Musically the album is uplifting, less folksy than the preceding year's Thunder and Consolation. 'Eleven Years' is an elevating stab at a love song, complete with semi-flamenco guitar flourishes. 'Before I Get Old' is an ode to the quest for personal fulfillment and ambition of almost archetypal proportions. The human heart in the album is emotional and strong, yet the recurrent New Model Army bitterness is there to add flavor to the concoction. Even the song of nominal redemption and forgiveness, 'Bury the Hatchet' is completed with a barely audible 'Last Laugh' following the supposed laying down of the vendetta.
|