Here is the artistic, atmospheric video for ‘Mother’s Love’ by folk-rock band Bluenose B. Formed in the 1980s by Stephen Lawson, Bluenose B have been championed by the likes of NME and John Peel over the years. The songs, styles and collaborators have changed since 1983. For his latest project, Lawson is joined by Merry Hell’s John Kettle on guitar and Virginia Kettle on lead vocals. The result is a melancholy tale of the forgotten people on the outskirts of society. The narrative – full of detailed, evocative lyrics – is told through the eyes of a mother facing the impossible moral dilemma of whether or not to protect the son who has stabbed another man to death. These are dark themes, sensitively handled and effectively raising awareness of the many layers and complexities of social issues. Kettle’s powerful voice gives the song an added emotional dimension and authenticity.
The single is taken from Bluenose B’s forthcoming album, ‘Lost Estates’, which shines a light on the lives of ordinary people, often forgotten by contemporary popular culture and society more broadly. Having grown up on such a lost estate, it is important to Stephen Lawson that these stories should be told. The lyrically-driven new album focuses on a range of social issues: inequality, crime, violence and the lives and loves of people on the margins. In an ever more divided world, in which a global pandemic and Brexit have impacted greatly on the vulnerable and disadvantaged, these are important themes and Lawson must be applauded for addressing them directly. Of course, it helps that the haunting ‘Mother’s Love’ is also musically absorbing. Check it out.
