ALBUM REVIEW: HELP(2)
By: Dasha Berezhanskiy and Adriana Mathiason
HELP(2) was released earlier this year on War Child Records, a subdivision of the War Child non-profit group. In the music world, they’re known for pulling together iconic artists on compilation albums — but globally, they provide support to millions of children affected by armed conflict each year. This record has some star-studded originals and classic covers, all influenced by War Child’s mission of peace and safety.
Each song is given a short blurb and review, then an overall letter grade. Odd numbered songs are reviewed by Dasha and even numbered songs are reviewed by Adriana. Enjoy!
- Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
The Arctic Monkey’s classic alt rock mysticism introduces the album. Alex Turner brooding voice invites listeners into a story of an unfair game the listeners have been forced to play.
Adriana: A-
Dasha: A-
- Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – “Flags”
The team-up of Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn, Fontaines D.C’s Grian Chatten and English playwright/poet/rapper Kae Tempest is an unexpected one, but on this layered hip-hop piano ballad, it mostly works. The children’s choir that sweeps in during the bridge as Albarn goes full Bowie is a good touch.
Adriana: B+
Dasha: A-
- Black Country, New Road – “Strangers”
The layered harmonies of the Black Country, New Road ladies plant a tender seed that blossoms with whimsical folksy force. “Strangers” becomes a richly composed instrumental tapestry that welcomes joyful togetherness.
Adriana: B+
Dasha: A
- The Last Dinner Party – “Let’s Do It Again!”
This song could very well be a B-side from TLDP’s latest record, From The Pyre. Their vaudevillian theater-pop sound is harnessed into a jazzy, raucous (note the exclamation point) track about getting back with an ex.
Adriana: C(!)
Dasha: B. While the subject matter feels very out of place for this project, I can’t help but be mesmerized by the pomp. This track could definitely turn into a guilty pleasure shower ballad for me…
- Beth Gibbons – “Sunday Morning”
Beth Gibbons, the legendary soprano of Portishead, lends her whispy, lullaby to this iconic Nico song. The gentle acoustic guitars and a distant soft wail of an electric harp beckon sleep.
Adriana: B-
Dasha: D. The talent of the vocalist and the brilliant eccentricity of the original feel squandered. I am bored and disappointed.
- Arooj Aftab & Beck – “Lilac Wine”
Jazz singer Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani to win a Grammy, layers her smooth vocals over Beck’s atmospheric production (and backing vocals) on “Lilac Wine,” a cover that appeared on Jeff Buckley’s Grace, who covered it from Nina Simone, who…you get the point. It’s a great addition to the history of this song and will surely find a home on the playlists of Laufey/lounge-singer-revival fans.
Adriana: A-
Dasha: B+
- King Krule – “The 343 Loop”
“The 343 Loop” functions almost as an interlude. It is a pallet cleanser that lifts out of the soft, wistful tracks that precede it, and, with its zapping and zooming electronic hiccups, welcomes the dancey energy of the tracks to come.
Adriana: A
Dasha: B
- Depeche Mode – “Universal Soldier”
Another often-covered song, “Universal Soldier” has, until now, been mostly interpreted as a folk tune. Depeche Mode bring strong goth vibes to their version, transforming it into a dramatic and electronic proclamation.
Adriana: C-. I’m attached to the sorrow of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s original version, but she was also faking being Indigenous for her entire career, so I can’t judge this too hard.
Dasha: B. I was honestly not familiar with the original, so this dark 80s electronic sound feels fitting and exciting to my ears.
- Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – “Helicopters”
The genre play continues when jazz fusion group Ezra Collective joins forces with R&B singer-songwriter Greentea Peng on reggae anthem. Relaxed but insistent, the bouncy rhythms act as a universal call for liberation.
Adriana: B-
Dasha: B
- Arlo Parks – “Nothing I Could Hide”
Parks’ intimate vocals are well-supported by a catchy beat and strong rhythmic decisions on “Nothing I Could Hide,” adding to her robust slate of 2026 singles.
Adriana: B+
Dasha: B+
- English Teacher & Graham Coxon – “Parasite”
English Teacher, an indie rock group, partner with another Blur member, guitarist Graham Coxon, on “Parasite”. Guitars and brass weave in and out as Lily Fontaine’s alto echoes the straining effort to survive despite a leeching force.
Adriana: B
Dasha: B+
- Beabadoobee – “Say Yes”
Beabadoobee lends her mellow sound to a cover of Elliott Smith’s 1997 hit. The instrumentals are sparse and let frontwoman Beatrice Laus’ cutesy vocal tone take center stage.
Adriana: D. There are many incredible, high-effort covers on this record, and this is not one of them.
Dasha: C-. Ditto.
- Big Thief – “Relive, Redie”
Indie folk modern legends, Big Thief, add their nuanced gentle sound to this record with this original track. The bass and drums step down humble alongside Adrianne Lenker’s melancholy, contemplative lyrics.
Adriana: A
Dasha: A
- Fontaines D.C. – “Black Boys on Mopeds”
It’s shocking that Fontaines haven’t tackled a Sinead O’Connor cover until now, but this rendition is beautifully faithful to the original. Grian Chatten’s signature spoken vocals lend themselves well to O’Connor’s somber criticism of English society.
Adriana: A+
Dasha: B+
- Cameron Winter – “Warning”
Supported only with beating strings and spurts of a distant harmony, Cameron Winter unnerves, telling a story of a nonsensical condemnation. This avant garde track transcends market appeal to offer a work of art fit for the wicked conflict whose senseless violence this album seeks to at least marginally alleviate.
Adriana: A
Dasha: A+
- Young Fathers – “Don’t Fight the Young”
Experimental indie rockers Young Fathers deliver an alternately chill and punky anthem filled with cool samples and an appropriate amount of fuzz.
Adriana: A-
Dasha: B
- Pulp – “Begging for Change”
Opening with a radiating announcement of struggle, as if a transmission from an outlaw radio station, “Begging for Change” erupts into a riotous, melodic punk anthem asserting resistance.
Adriana: A. When you think of a UK-based protest album, this might be the closest to what you imagine.
Dasha: B+
- Sampha – “Naboo”
You may know Sampha from his iconic collaborations, like his feature on Kendrick Lamar’s “Father Time” in 2022, but this song showcases why he gets tapped for vocals. “Naboo” is an introspective, meditative song with a loungey instrumental.
Adriana: B-
Dasha: B
- Wet Leg – “Obvious”
Wet Leg grows gentle, embracing a tender and stripped back sound on this track. Over simple guitars and keys, Rhian Teasdale sings of simple foibles, shrinking to a childlike, sweet honesty.
Adriana: C
Dasha: B+
- Foals – “When the War is Finally Done”
Foals, a staple of any 2010s indie rock playlist, skillfully branch into the solemnity of this record — but the catchy synth refrain at the end distinguishes this track from the rest of the pack as frontman Yannis Philippakis paints a cautiously hopeful post-war picture.
Adriana: B-
Dasha: B
- Bat For Lashes – “Carried my girl”
Bat for Lashes’s whispering, motherly voice appears over a desolate soundscape of humming synths that gain steady strength with assured piano keys and heartbeat percussion. Angel harmonies of weeping mothers and daughters compound the vocalist’s growing sorrow for all our children lost. This song pierces, haunts, and remembers.
Adriana: A. “They’re all our babies” is one of the most haunting refrains I can think of.
Dasha: A+. “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” – James Baldwin, from “Notes on the House of Bondage”
- Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”
Out of all the collaborations on this record, this might be the coolest. Four of the most exciting vocal talents in Europe — you may know Ellie Rowsell from her band Wolf Alice, or Dove Ellis from opening for Cameron Winter’s Geese — combine to create a slow-building, timeless-feeling atmosphere.
Adriana: A
Dasha: A-
- Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”
Olivia Rodrigo closes this record with a cover of The Magnetic Fields’s song. Gently singing over synths that turn warm and acoustic guitar strumming, Rodrigo reminds us of simple practices of love.
Adriana: C+
Dasha: C-. This is a cover that loses the charm of its original. It is an unfortunately unfit ending to an otherwise wonderful project.
With its nearly 90 minute run time, HELP(2) delivers a diverse abundance of new sounds for one’s ears. Legendary musicians of then and now appear beside one another on the track list, offering classic and fresh songs in an extensive mix of genres (but also in a mix of quality). The musical prowess and variety exhibited reward relistening as the fineness of the production and nuances of some tracks uncover themselves. Beyond the great cause the sales of this album contribute to, the gems, which are for you to pick out, more than justify a listen to HELP(2).
