Has Justin lost his hook?

[Valstar]

And, being 50 now, I have to remember that I will not feel the same when hearing new stuff, I still can be really moved (luckily) but it can't be the same as when you're 18 and you hear something like "we are lost, we are freaks, we're crippled we're weak" and I could go on and on (I was, but my post was starting to be too long, so removed the No Rest, 225, Vanity and Orange Tree Road lines I wrote ).

I can still feel a new song right in my guts, but it can't be the same raw feeling

I have never given this much thought...but this is absolutely true, isn't it? A bit sad, somehow, but it makes sense. 

I know what you mean and I feel that way about lots of bands from my youth. But NMA are one of the few exceptions for me. Maybe my musical taste has matured in the same way as their music but I rarely feel nostalgic about NMA. They are very much a current band in my mind and I like their recent stuff as much as the classics. Songs like States Radio, Summer Moors, Eyes Get Used to the Darkness or Where I am are move me as much as any of their 80s anthems.

I'm not stuck in the 80's stuff, my favorite album is 8, and state radio one of my alltime favorite too (but those are old timers too now in 2022 )

[scobb]

Other that Wuthering Heights I'm struggling to think of any songs with a Cathy hook?

[jackroadkill]

I'm in the "unpopular" camp here, too.  I loved everything up until BDAW, which despite plenty of trying I just find.... well, boring.  I described it on the forum as being all production and no songwriting, which went down like a French kiss at a family reunion with some members.  There were a lot of "Just wait until you hear it live - those songs were intended to be played up close and personal" comments but I had the same reaction to the songs at gigs. BDAW Live was the same, but I did like Between Wine And Blood, and Winter is one of my favourites.  From Here didn't do it for me at all, to the point that I didn't even try particularly hard to overcome this.

However, I fully believe that a band must make the records that they want to make, and that it's not their job to make records that I like.  One of the things that I like best about NMA is that they do things their way and aren't afraid to step outside what they've done before.  One thing is for sure - it wouldn't have lasted 40 years if all they'd done was make The Ghost of Cain twenty times.

[Simon73]

<i think in general that every NMA album is different and special with great songs. listen to the band since 35 years and know Justin since years ago when i was living in bradford. amazing artist and human being. lyrics are always great. musically speaking From Here is different from other albums with great songs to sing along and shout loud (today is a good day, water, to the early ones). I mean this band put out great records since the 80s in my opinion. and all albums are great or really good. even those from which they almost never play live songs such as Eight and others. great albums great songs. then they are different and that is a positive thing or will be always the same stuff all over again.

For the rest the first >Justin solo album has all incredible songs very special album to me. The last one love it too even if different i d say even more difficult bit his 2 solo albums are not the best example of songs with catchy choruses etc nothing to do.

[Sarah LA3]

In my humble opinion Justin and the band have not lost "the hook". For me, there is something great in every album.  Over the decades the music has changed and evolved and for me that's one of the reasons I love NMA and solo JS music so much. The newer albums are just as good as the early ones. Never boring, always different from the one before.

Been lucky enough to see them twice this year and the newer songs slot in perfectly alongside all our old favourites.

When Surrounded first came out I wasn't sure about it, almost didn't like it but now I  like it as much as NBTS. I guess I'm a little bit obsessed but no other band comes close.

Hoping the new album will be out next year...

[Ghosttrain]

Hello and welcome......hopefully you will continue posting here....not many of us left ....agree totally with your comment about ''Surrounded''it took me a while to get into it and i really like it now.It was always going to be difficult for me as NBTS is one of my all time favourite albums by anyone not just JS/NMA based,so as much as i like the album it was never going to compete with NBTS (for me imho)..As i have said before on other threads it would be a pretty dull world if we all liked the same thing...

[Sarah LA3]

Hi Ghosttrain, thank you for reading my post. I totally agree with you about NBTS, just outstanding.

I'm not on social media anymore so I tend to miss out on interesting bits of information but I look in on this forum when I can. I don't always post things for fear of being boring but maybe I'll share more of my thoughts in future. I bore my circle of friends with NMA stuff (they don't understand me, lol) ...