There's Me and There's You

Matthew Herbert's dazzling new album There's Me and There's You is the most seductive, sophisticated and subversive collection of protest songs ever recorded. Blending lush jazz instrumentation, soulful vocals, fascinating rhythms and a secret underground arsenal of outlandish samples, it marks Herbert's second collaboration with his big band. Featuring the cream of British jazz musicians, There's Me and There's You is a sequel of sorts to Herbert's 2001 project Goodbye Swingtime. It was largely recorded at London's fabled Abbey Road studios, although Herbert also incorporates sounds specially orchestrated at significant sites including the British Museum and the Houses of Parliament.

Effortlessly wrapping deluxe avant-jazz arrangements around polemical lyrics and artfully selected noises, the album's dominant theme is power and its abuses in the 21st century. The war in Iraq is a key rallying point, informing several tracks including 'One Life' and 'Waiting'. The power of monarchy is addressed in 'Regina', religion in 'Pontificate', media in 'The Story', wealth inequalities in 'The Rich Man's Prayer', and state-sponsored torture in 'Battery'. The hypocrisy of climate change politics and the evils of rampant consumerism are also recurring motifs.