If 2022 was the year in which we all stood with Ukraine, then it's appropriate that as the year ends, we include a track by The Wedding Present off-shoot, The Ukrainians. Recorded for an EP of Smiths covers, the band correctly deduced the tonal similarity between Morrissey's croon and the Eastern European folk tradition. I felt that it worked very well on Batyar, but palled on me when spread over an EP.
Johnny Marr spoke of wanting Bigmouth Strikes Again to be a rush all the way through and The Ukrainians take it at enough of a gallop to make for a compelling recording. Although Morrissey’s lyrics seemed to be a comic expression of his psychotic Alan Bennett demeanour when The Smiths recorded the song in 1985 for release the following year on The Queen is Dead, they sound considerably more harrowing to listen to in 2022, when a Ukrainian may very well know someone who was bludgeoned in their bed and they fight an enemy who considers that the whole country has no right to take their place in the human race.
Videos courtesy of LXL and The Smiths.
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