Poptimist 42
The truth is I forgot it was my week to do a column, and by the time I was reminded all I could think about was the news, so I wrote about the news, and where on earth pop can fit into it. I decided that probably it can’t, but it creeps in anyway, and some of the ways it does are interesting.
On Twitter, Stevie T said he was surprised I didn’t mention PJ Harvey. I’m surprised too! The sense on LES of multiple voices, and the idea that in order to talk about the present, music sometimes has to reach back into history and work with resonances rather than ideas - these are things I think are important for ‘political’ music, and they also offer an answer to the question I end this with - one way pop can find a place is by stepping outside the flow of things, not trying to be caught up in it.
