Static on the Airwaves is the tenth album from British folk punks The Levellers and marks their first release since 2008.
Traditionally there has always been an element of sedition and the political to folk music, most recently the British far right tried unsuccessfully to commandeer the genre for its own purpose. The Levellers are no strangers to the political side of the genre, their name alone is drawn from an English Civil War era political movement that emphasised a more populist approach to government. Static on the Airwaves is not necessarily an inherently political record but there are plenty of moments where the band tackle issues, ranging from the war in Afghanistan to the financial crisis, head on.
The pairing of title track “Static on the Airwaves” and “We Are All Gunmen” opens the album in a strong albeit foreboding fashion, making it immediately clear that this is not going to be a record of mediations of agrarian utopia. The opening refrain posits a utopian image of society juxtaposing it with the harsher reality: ‘constable paints awesome skies, instead of macing suspects eyes’. It’s angry and polemic but very listenable, with a killer chorus and a nice darting fiddle. It’s anthemic and not out of place in the band’s back catalogue.
“Truth Is” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks on the album – it’s jaunty and energetic – with some brilliant violin work. It’s one of those songs that you can instantly imagine live. With a number of festival friendly anthems under the belt it seems likely that the band have penned another. “After the Hurricane” is a bit of a slow-burner. It features a great mix of instrumentation and superficially it comes across as quite amiable, yet lyrically the political element is still there. “Our Forgotten Towns” is a swirling squally fiddle-driven dirge at the decline of the British high street. “No Barriers” ups the guitars and features an impressive vocal turn from Mark Chadwick. The inclusion of the darting fiddle helping to keep the balance between the punk and rock elements with the bands more traditional folk elements.
“Alone in the Darkness” is an acoustic driven track, like “After the Hurricane” it takes a couple of listens to really appreciate it. Not because they are worse than the other tracks but rather they don’t grab the attention as much as the more upbeat and anthemic tunes. It serves as a short respite before the rollicking and raucous “Raft Of The Medusa” a rocking sea-shanty replete with a healthy dose of fiddle, pirates and cannibalism. “Mutiny” sees Chadwick transform into Jesse Robert Short, a fusilier sentenced to death after the Etaples Mutiny in 1917. It’s a powerful track that is in keeping with the darker more murderous elements of the folk tradition.
“Traveller” brings down the energy levels with some sparse and subtle instrumentation. Proving, if nothing else, that the band are capable of penning delicate and beautiful songs, as well as the raucous barnstorming tracks. “Second Life” sees the band turn their displeasure on video games, replete with some lyrical wit. “The Recruiting Sergeant” brings the album to a rollicking close. A modern updating of an old Black Watch anthem sees the band turn their attention to the war in Afghanistan.
Static on the Airwaves is in many ways a return to form, it’s an album that sees the band returning to the more traditional elements of their sound. Despite the seriousness of many of the topics that the band have written and sung about on this record, it remains an incredibly fun and rewarding listen. Though more polished and less raw than previous recordings, Static on the Airwaves stays true to the spirit of the band.
Review Score: 8.7 out of 10
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