A star-studded lineup for a chic collection of unreleased tracks, a handful of grand songs, and a cause to champion.
In 1995, for its inaugural compilation Help, War Child brought together Oasis, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Blur, Sinéad O’Connor, Terry Hall, and Paul McCartney under the guidance of Brian Eno at Abbey Road Studios. Thirty years on, and a few dust motes later, Let’s Do It Again, as the title suggested by The Last Dinner Party slipping into this new XXL collection of unreleased material, produced by James Ford, remains dedicated to the charity that defends the rights of children affected by war.
This time again, the cream of the music world was summoned to Abbey Road for a week of recording: Damon Albarn, Pulp, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Grian Chatten (Fontaines D.C.), Cameron Winter, Black Country, New Road, Olivia Rodrigo covering The Magnetic Fields, Wet Leg… Clearly, we’re in the Avengers of pop rather than the Enfoirés—in the same spirit, we will fondly and emotionally recall Dark Was the Night (2009), produced by the Dessner brothers for the 4AD label as part of the fight against HIV.
An Albion Restored to Grace
While the collection overflows with strong tracks (the opening Opening Night, Arctic Monkeys in their latest incarnation) and well-crafted covers (Sunday Morning evaporated by Beth Gibbons, Say Yes by Elliott Smith tickled by Beabadoobee, Lilac Wine by Arooj Aftab & Beck…), a few songs dominate the landscape, beginning with those drawing their human energy from Blur members. Accompanying English Teacher, Graham Coxon Parasite elegantly lends his electric guitar to the track of the same name. But it is above all Damon Albarn, in a trio with Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest, all three joined – among others – by Johnny Marr and Adrian Utley (enough already!), who wins every vote with Flags, simply one of the most beautiful and enthralling songs of the moment.
Clearly in the midst of a renaissance (the superb conclusion of Warm Up with Étienne de Crécy last year, and most recently the best Gorillaz in about fifteen years), Damon Albarn seems to soar in singing and piano on this celestial, grave yet buoyant collaboration. Still on the side of a revived Albion, Pulp offers on its glam side an Begging for Change that is heated and ecstatic, in the vein of Party Hard, while Foals deliver When the War is Finally Done, an atmospheric and insistent piece. On a Buffy Sainte‑Marie classic (Universal Soldier), Depeche Mode does not disappoint, in step with a theme song that has evidently involved itself far beyond a good gesture—see the penultimate track, Sunday Light, written and performed by Anna Calvi, in a trio with Nilüfer Yanya and Dove Ellis, another peak of emotion. Beyond the charitable cause, it’s hard not to find twenty-three tracks with real reasons to acquire this collection.
Help (2) (War Child Records/Wagram). Release on March 6.
