Harley Alexander ‘Spill Kid’

Today on the train an announcement came on the tannoy, something along the lines of: ‘Beggars and buskers are operating on this train. Please do not encourage them by supporting them’. It made me seethe quietly with rage in my seat. Firstly, I will spend my money on whatever or whoever I damn well please, and secondly, how have we become so disconnected from our fellow humans that these people are treated with the same amount of dignity as a piece of dog shit on our collective shoe? Thirdly, it was -7 degrees last night – that’s the kind of weather that kills if you’re vulnerable and alone. We’re better that this aren’t we? If we don’t or can’t give money or support to homeless people or people busking to make ends meet, isn’t that up to us? Why shame these people publicly, as if they are not already shamed enough on a daily basis? I can’t image how difficult it must be to beg for money, and that’s without robotic omnipresent voices basically telling you to fuck off at regular intervals. Kindness doesn’t cost anything (or not much at least). I understand that many people would rather not give money to homeless people for fear it will be used to feed a dependency on drugs or alcohol (which I don’t subscribe to – if I give money, it is up to the recipient on what it is spent), but there are lots of ways we can help. A cup of tea here, a listening ear there, the address of a shelter. Just remember, if Brexit goes ahead, we may well all find ourselves out alone in the cold, and karma is famously just. It’s put me in a kind of melancholy mood, but that also might be because I’m listening to Harley Alexander. I’m fan-girling hard over his new album, ‘Spill Kid’. One of the tracks ‘Tiny Bricks‘ is already featuring on our new compilation (announced today!), but this entire album is an absolute treat for the ears (and the soul). Sometimes I struggle to ‘feel things’ but this album makes me feel all kinds of junk, and that makes it pretty remarkable in my book- in fact, not since Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Carrie And Lowell‘ have I connected so completely to a work of music. I’ll say no more, except listen to it, and tell me if you love it as much as I do.