Yesterday, I was watching the news and they were covering the fascist march (lets call it what it was….) involving Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the convicted football hooligan, the convicted mortgage fraudster and all-round degenerate, self-appointed “journalist” that UKIP have just appointed as an advisor (come at me, “Tommy” which part of that ain’t true?).
Never mind that the numbers on the march were paltry compared to the anti-fascist rally across town, the BBC were there, legitimising the failure of the so-called “populists” and the thought crossed my mind – yet again – of how the hell we got to this point? Where we could call migrants a “swarm” and Farage can publish that poster of the refugees and it be debated as if it were fact?
And then I put this on.
“Desert Waves On Endless Shores Part 2” is the continuation of the journey that Josh Watson embarked on with this ambitious solo project. Part one was brilliant. Part Two is somewhere towards stunning.
Stunning because of the songwriting, stunning because it is personal – Watson’s family moved halfway around the world when he was seven years old – and stunning because it is genuinely thought provoking in a way that music almost never is.
All of which would be just about enough, except these six songs are brilliantly conceived too.
Part one saw the arduous trip that the refugees took to get to the west. Part two deals with the hell they encounter when they are here. “Shadow On Your Smile” is actually pretty close to the lush Alt. Rock template that Watson used to create on the records of Captain Horizon, the band he used to be in, but the lyrics are stark and jarring.
“Every Headline” is better still, taking the media to task over something close to modern day Marillion. And, actually, if you want to just enjoy this as a piece of music then that’s fine – because you could such is the skill, and this knows its way around a catchy hook. It just seems to be worth far more.
If his last band was pleasingly difficult to pigeon-hole, then you’ve got no chance with this to be honest. “Place To Hide Away” throbs along on some dark sounds and edgy guitar – and Watson can’t half play – while “Measure Of A Man” has an almost funky pulse, and the harmony vocals are brilliantly picked out. Indeed, you can almost feel the sense of desperation here.
“Guarded Eyes” begins with something a little gospel tinged – and it feels the most personal thing here. “I’ve been waiting for 23 years and six days” he sings, and a little later “I kept a skateboard and your memory remains….”. These are things you don’t just make up, and when the key line of “I am struggling to see a better life, when you look at me with those guarded eyes.” It becomes something very special indeed.
If that one wasn’t quite so good, then “Who We Choose To Be” would perhaps save the best for last. Written in the first person about a refugee abused on the train, it is achingly beautiful in its ugliness, as it were, and I am sure all too real to many of the population.
On the sleeve notes for this Watson writes in conclusion: “We choose who we are. And who we choose to be is frightening to me.” Me too, Josh. We can’t be the only ones. This record is for the decent people.
Rating 9.5/10
