Marc Ribot is a legend in certain circles – not only for his own prolific projects, but also for the numerous recordings he’s been involved in.
This is an accomplished selection of songs, sourced everywhere from World War II anti-Fascist partisan songs to civil right ditties and current observations about the fragile nature of racial politics.
Guest vocalists feature throughout, perhaps best known are Tom Waits and Steve Earle. Waits lends his muted growl to ‘Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful)’, and you can’t help but feel sorrow when Earle sings “Madmen pulled the trigger/ Donald Trump loaded the gun” on ‘Srinavas’. Powerful and anthemic, it spirals to lofty peaks.
Gloriously verbose, and at times vainglorious, most songs are steeped in a simpler time, in as much as the main concern was not the latest social media, but life or death. This album is valedictory and mixes uncertainty and hope, delivering strong songs with intense economy.
As ‘Rata de dos Patas’ propels towards poking the Trump support team squarely in the eye, it’s remarkable that all songs could be delivered with such sustained conviction. It’s a complete masterwork for agitation rock.
