As with previous attempts to wrap themselves in the St George flag, temporarily making the English banner an uneasy symbol of intolerance, the far right have a stated intention to insinuate themselves into the fabric of our culture, including the musical traditions closest to the land. Here’s the counter-strike.
Like the sentiments expressed in Billy Bragg’s England Half English, this 31-track compilation is pluralistic in the same way that its target isn’t. This is not a round-up of songs that see us in any particular way, or comes from a traditional vein that can simply be encapsulated as “folk”. Instead it’s a fine way of interpreting that tradition which enables Chumbawamba to rub shoulders with Eliza Carthy and Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara across a couple of discs that are quite appropriately anchored by Shirley & Dolly Collins.
So this is a coming together to protect a wide-ranging movement from being misappropriated, even while serving as an excellent sampler for an eclectic gathering of musicians. They’ll take heart from the rejection of far right parties at the ballot box this year, but they’ll not see the work as being done, either.
