Songs of War
Mick Harvey and Christopher Richard Barker teamed up to release a concept album that is focused around the works of World War I poet, Edgar Bourchier. In just 15 tracks, Harvey and Barker cover Bourchier’s life, as well as the struggles and triumphs of war. Musically speaking, the album addresses the different feelings and experiences of a soldier in the foundation of the songwriting and composition.
“Further Down the Line” opens the album and it possesses the feeling of a story being told years after it actually took place. It is a very chill song in nature and even includes some spoken word poetry toward the middle of the track. While this is a beautifully mixed track, it is not representative of what’s to come on the album, which was probably intentional since war is not something that is consistent in nature.
There is something about the track “Softly Spoken Bill” that draws you in as a listener, from the dramatic nature of the music to the encapsulating writing. One of the best parts about this album overall is the fact that the writing paints a picture for the listener, making it really easy to follow along with the war tales and what those felt like. This specific track paints a violent story that matches perfectly with the dramatic instrumentals backing it throughout.
“The Lost Bastard Song of War” takes on a completely different vibe when compared to most of the songs previously on the album. This track is much more charged up and almost aggressive in nature, which is just another side of war. If there wasn’t a set theme to the album, this track would feel very out of place and honestly would have been better off not being included. However, due to war being the main focus, this track does a great job of supporting the main purpose of the album as a whole.
The ominous nature of the album is at an all-time high with the track “I am the Messenger,” which is quite literally Halloween-esque instrumentals paired with whispering voices. Each word whispered is guaranteed to keep the listener on their toes as they try to follow along with the dramatic scene being recited back to them.
After covering as many sides of war as possible in 15 tracks, the listener is sure to be captivated in the work that is Edgar Bourchier, as well as this entire concept album by Mick Harvey and Christopher Richard Barker.
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