Mess+Noise album review: The Key Of Sea – ‘Volume 1’, December 2010
An ‘on rotation’ album review for Mess+Noise. Excerpt below.
Various Artists – The Key Of Sea
A new compilation sticks up the middle finger at the oft-repeated “stop the boats” refrain, writes ANDREW MCMILLEN.
This is more than a collection of songs. It’s a middle-finger to the unending dialogue surrounding the hideously offensive phrase “stop the boats”.
That dog whistle sounded long and loud across the land earlier this year, as politicians and their supporters attempted to shield racist ideals under the guise of protecting national interests in an election year. The Key Of Sea is the compassionate antidote to narrow-minded xenophobia. All proceeds from the sale of the album – which pairs well-known Australian artists with refugee musicians – go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, and Refugees Survivors and Ex Detainees. Its co-founders encourage listeners to “think deep, dig deep, and enjoy a unique musical journey”. It’s an apt disclaimer.
These 11 narratives are drawn from disparate inspirations. Knowing each song’s genesis only adds to their impact. Urthboy’s collaboration with Group 120, ‘Letters From Jamshed’, has its roots in the MC’s sister trading mail with an asylum seeker named Jamshed, who was being held in the Nairu detention centre. Featuring lyrics taken from Jamshed’s correspondence, the song’s chorus – set among hip-hop beats, a circular nylon-string guitar riff, and Group 120’s choir of sighs – presents the question that lies at the heart of the asylum seeker debate: “Do you mind, if you and I/We share the sky?”. Alongside Blue King Brown and Diafrix’s ‘Streets Are Getting Hot’, it’s the album’s most upbeat track, and among the most memorable.
For the full review, visit Mess+Noise. For more on The Key Of Sea, visit their website, or watch the project documentary embedded below.
Elsewhere: a story for Rolling Stone about The Cat Empire’s involvement with The Key Of Sea