Well, it's made it past ten plays, so I'd have to give it a thumbs-up.
Really engaging production, tracklist has a cohesion and intent to it that I'd rate alongside Cain, Brotherhood and Eight for that sort of thing. Individually I could have done without the music college riff of Stormclouds but the rest of that song (and the album) is thoughtfully arranged and measured out, to my ears.
It's a good record, interesting in and of itself as opposed to being something from a band I happen to like.
More of a grower than a shower but their best work often is, and that fits in with many of this years better albums from the likes of Boards of Canada, Oneohtrix Point Never, OMD, Little Boots, Vile Electrodes, NIN, Autechre, Bowie, Bonobo, etc.
2013 is not the year of the instant gratifier. And when the rawk stylings of everyone from Newsted to Black ruddy Sabbath this year are lacking in any creativity beyond how far you can hard-limit in mastering, I'm glad to see NMA move well beyond that. I'll be listening to it in a year and enjoying it more than I do now.
CD packaging's the shit as well, really nicely done. Shame they couldn't get an LP into my local HMV mind you.
