<\/p>\n
\n\tThe first \u201cWar Child,\u201d a British-all-star charity album featuring rare tracks from such then-rising-ish stars as Oasis, Radiohead, Blur, Portishead and Massive Attack as well as Sinead O\u2019Connor, Suede and the Stone Roses, arrived in September of 1995 \u2014 so long ago that the primary motivation at the time was to support the War Child charity\u2019s efforts in Bosnia. The organization aims to deliver aid, education, mental health support and protection to children affected by conflict around the world; musically speaking, we can remember getting a specially burned advance CD of that album and being very excited about the new songs from Radiohead (\u201cLucky,\u201d which of course would be a highlight of the \u201cOK Computer\u201d album almost two years later) and Portishead (\u201cMourning Air,\u201d ditto their self-titled sophomore set).<\/p>\n
\n\tMuch more importantly, the album \u2014\u00a0recorded in a single day \u2014 raised over \u00a31.2 million for War Child.<\/p>\n
\n\tSome 31 years later, the sequel, \u201cHelp (2),\u201d has arrived and was overseen by executive producer James Ford, known for his work with Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Pulp, Fontaines DC and many others. He put his address book to work here: There are new tracks \u2014 nearly all of which were recorded at Abbey Road Studios across one week last November \u2014\u00a0from all of the above artists (including the first new song from the Arctic Monkeys since 2022) as well as new songs from Olivia Rodrigo<\/a>, Geese\u2019s Cameron Winter,<\/a> Arooj Aftab & Beck, Damon Albarn (with Johnny Marr on guitar), Wet Leg<\/a>, Big Thief, Beabadoobee and many more \u2014 a whopping 23 songs in all, the full tracklist appears below. As the announcement notes, \u201cThe new album, like the original, speaks to the urgency of the humanitarian situation globally today.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBringing a critical take to such a well-intended album is always awkward, but highlights include the Arctic Monkeys\u2019 first new song since 2022, an uncharacteristically low-key \u201cObvious\u201d from Wet Leg, an unlikely tag-team on the Broadway song \u201cLilac Wine\u201d from Arooj Aftab and Beck, a sensitive take on Sinead O\u2019Connor\u2019s hard-hitting \u201cBlack Boys on Mopeds\u201d from Fontaines D.C., a sweetly soulful \u201cNaboo\u201d from Sampha, Big Thief\u2019s \u201cRelive, Redie\u201d \u2014 and probably most of all, Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s gorgeous, hushed take on Magnetic Fields\u2019 \u201cBook of Love,\u201d from their 1999 classic album \u201c99 Love Songs,\u201d which she sings in a tone that summons \u201cDrivers License\u201d flashbacks.<\/p>\n