![]() ![]() This is protest music, 2017-style – a bright spot in a worried world. Unlike Dylan’s vicious put-down, though, Hallelujah Anyhow offers a hand up to those looking for the high road. This may be his ‘ Like a Rolling Stone’ moment, his anti-establishment bellow. That’s the message made flesh – focus on your similarities and the world comes a little bit closer. ![]() Each was made to feel special, and a little community sprang up around the music. There were young families with babies, seasoned pros, people from every tribe and tongue. He spent two days reposting hundreds of videos, and for each one he offered words of encouragement and thanks – humble, specific words from the heart – and guest access to the nearest Hiss gig. To demonstrate the connecting power of that music in real life, Taylor recently put out a call on Instagram for fans to post themselves covering songs from the album. ![]() It’s hard to feel depressed when you listen to it. Taylor (also know as Jai Slim Diamond), a Californian songwriter whose work is spun from the. It’s music for campfires and open-topped chevies. Hiss Golden Messenger is the recording name of Michael C. It’s gorgeous stuff – easy, loose-limbed and sunny – but there’s punch in rhythmic numbers like ‘ Domino (Time Will Tell)’. Shimmering guitars trade gentle riffs with Rhodes and Hammond lap steels keen in the background and harmonicas skirl over the top. Musically, the album is a lovely continuation of Hiss’s long-running country-rock formula. As Taylor puts it on ‘ Harder Rain’, “more pain won’t kill the pain it’s obvious to me a little love will go a long way.” Contrast this with Tom Morello’s Trump-phobic Prophets of Rage, with their guerrilla stylings and belligerent slogans (‘unfuck the world’). Rather than adding your voice to one side’s war cry, look for where you can build bridges and live out a message of peace. In a sense, this album provides a mature answer to the question of how moderates should respond to bipartisan in-fighting. There’s deep concern evident in the tone and lyrics on Hallelujah Anyhow, a keen awareness of the dangers of Trump’s America, but that concern is met with resolute optimism. Neither are these songs naïve – this isn’t mindless hippyism. In an age when tribalism and trolling have split communities down the middle, Hiss choose to rise above and focus on the beauty in everyday life, the little victories and moments of happiness that unite us all. The anti-Trump vibe of songs like ‘ When the Wall Comes Down’ is obvious, but it’s not nasty. They love music and they love life, and on this latest offering they’re using their skills to offer a message of hope in the midst of darkness. The collective, headed up by swami and songwriter-in-chief MC Taylor, specialise in warm, driving Americana. As the title suggests, it’s about seeing the silver lining in a bad situation – and in 2017, there’s plenty in the world that needs a gilt edge. Hiss Golden Messenger’s new album Hallelujah Anyhow is an uplifting experience. ![]()
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