A mini album dedicated to Hillary Clinton’s ‘defeat’ in the 2016 US Presidential Election and her (imagined) personal aftermath. Let’s not dwell on the name of her opponent, shall we? As is fitting for such a subject, a cast of six female musicians underpin Brooklynite Pronksy’ self-penned song suite in fine style. Although an idea firmly out of left field, it’s a pretty good record; full of the poppy/folky/jazz character you’d expect from Rebecca Pronsky.
Perhaps inevitably led by the subject matter, it feels sometimes like the soundtrack from a musical. This might be problematic for some people who are looking for something more rootsy, but we’re a broad church here at Americana UK. Opening track Things Never Change sees Hillary waking up to the fact she isn’t POTUS! It’s cheery and poppy, turning to bitter and bleak lyrically – even in this case the man always gets the job. Moving on, the songs imagine Clinton’s thoughts and feelings in the days that follow. Forgotten is a celebration of ditching power-dressing and embracing pyjamas and lazy days; honest expression being allowed instead of constant political and diplomatic niceties. One of the few upsides of being such a famed loser. There are precious few references to the winner of the election, and that’s a good thing. Closing track Witness is anthemic –all about standing up, dusting down and carrying on. It’s probably the best song here.
Summary
Transcending the limits imposed by the subject matter, an entertaining collection of Broadway-esque songs.
