I first came across Darren Hayman as part of John Peel favourites Hefner back in the late 1990's (check out The Best of Hefner 1996-2002 for examples of their clever, catchy pop tunes), briefly caught him again as a member of The French in 2003 and then lost contact; so I was interested to find Chants for Socialists and that Darren had regularly released albums in the intervening years.
This album is named after a pamphlet of lyrics published in 1885 by William Morris the Victorian textile designer, poet and social activist, a facsimile of which Hayman found whilst wondering around the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. Hayman has altered and truncated Morris' words but attempted to remain true to his thoughts and sentiments according to the notes in the record's booklet.
The album opens with an unaccompanied male choir singing the anti-war song 'Awake London Lads'. The gentle poppy 'May Day 1894' provides a contrast with a lovely, bright Summery guitar.
A mahogany-cased piano built in 1800, which is part of the furniture collection at Morris' Gloucestershire home Kelmscott Manor features on 'The March of the Workers'. In fact the album was part recorded at three of Morris' homes and the sleeve of the vinyl version was printed at the press at Kelmscott House in Hammersmith.
'Down Among the Dead Men' features military style drumming with keys, brass and raises a glass to the fallen and to a brighter future, “ Drink we the unforgotten dead, That did our deeds and slipped away, Before the bright sun brought the day.” with a memorable, affecting chorus of the title sung by a choir.
Hayman readily acknowledges that the lyrics in many of the songs such as 'All For the Cause', 'The Voice of Toil' and 'No Master High or Low' come from a different time to ours and the sentiments presented are perhaps too simplistic for our own complicated times, but this succeeds as a intriguing, collaborative project bringing the words, sentiments and locations of Victorian William Morris' times into 2015.
Alisdair Whyte
8/11
