Dismay, empathy and anger course through the lines of Britain’s modern folk hero, Jamie Webster and his latest single, 24 Hours In A&E. At the same time a festival tent-shaking anthemist and documentarian of the troubled times we live in, Webster’s pen and plectrum are this time directed at the nation’s healthcare system, from where a tale of addiction, violence and the valour of NHS staff has been painted over a head-bobbing cut of brave and beatsy pop.
Now working determinedly from his own studio in an outer-city, dockland world as yet undiscovered by Liverpool’s ongoing regeneration efforts, 24 Hours In A&E, shows off Webster’s game embrace of new sonic ideas while holding true to his socially and politically-driven preoccupations. Digging into a record collection where Talking Heads vie for attention alongside Bob Dylan, Webster’s latest catches him veering closer to New York new wave and hip-hop influences and leaving his acoustic guitar on standby.
With a UK-wide fan base visibly and audibly connected to Webster through shared stories of hope beyond adversity, every line of the singer-songwriter’s latest release conjures vivid, almost photographic pictures from a busy and tense NHS waiting room – part tribute, part letter of complaint.
Jamie Webster says of the track: “’24 Hours in A&E’ is a documentation of the state of decline in the NHS and the public health service under the Tories, compiling stories that come from my own experiences and those of others around me from times in A&E. It’s about good people from all walks of life, of all backgrounds, including people who were born here, who migrated here or are seeking asylum. It’s showing support for NHS staff, seeing the things they have to put up with due to the lack of funding and the lack of recruitment.
“So many of those working so hard to keep us fit and healthy have come to help us from overseas and things will only get better if we all call for the changes we need as one working-class community. In my eyes the issue has always been with the people upstairs designing the engine, not the people on the ground making the cogs turn.”
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