The Hum

A neighbour of Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow brought them news that the sale of a house close by had fallen through because the prospective purchasers were put off by the hum of a local factory. But the neighbour herself took comfort from the hum because, ‘it's the sound of people working. This inspired the opening track, and in some ways it infuses the entire album.

These are songs of exile, oppression and alienation, but O'Hooley and Tidow's concern is with the way people respond. ‘Coil and Spring’ is a forthright song of solidarity with Pussy Riot; ‘Like Horses’ ponders why people cannot be more equine – powerful, yet gentle; ‘Summat's Brewin’ is a paean to good beer – and the way people are coming together in defence of their local pubs. ‘Two Mothers’ is the story of a woman whose baby was sent to Australia during Britain's child migration scheme. The Hum is produced by the innovative Gerry Diver, whose strings, percussion, even industrial noises, enhance but never overwhelm their excellent singing and piano. It is, ultimately, an optimistic work – ten songs that reflect, interrogate, and celebrate the hum made by humanity and the reverberation of creation itself.