Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
A timely warning to people globally, duo The Blackheart Orchestra have taken this Manic Street Preachers classic and turned it into something heartbreakingly beautiful.
With the planet heading, literally, into meltdown, Chrissy and Rick have shone new light through old windows and highlighted the lyrical message at the very centre of the song, its target the damage we’re doing to our environment.
Stripping things down to its basics, the starkness of Mostyn’s wonderfully fragile and almost childlike voice matched with Pilkington’s piano make for a breath-taking structure, layers being added later on in the song to add to the poignancy.
Shorn of its bluster and fury, this version is a gentle kiss on the senses, acting a small, still and calm voice that really makes you sit up and listen. This starkness adds some real power and is, in its way, a lot more effective than the source material in this context, changing the Manics singalong anthem into something that really gets under the skin.
With part of the funds raised through the download being donated to the Just One Tree charity, not only are the band offering something for hearts and minds but also helping to reforest the planet by planting trees. It’s a win / win situation.
Download / stream here https://linktr.ee/theblackheartorchestra
