As armed conflicts around the Middle East occur, the War Child UK organization brought together a multitude of artists to create an album dedicated to supporting children impacted by conflicts globally. Released on March 6, this album is the “sequel” to the first HELP album released in 1995, which featured artists like Oasis, Radiohead, and Blur. Like the iconic first album, HELP(2) took a clear solid stance on unifying against conflict and supporting children affected.
Produced by James Ford and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the 23-track album features extraordinary artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Cameron Winter, beabadoobee, Olivia Rodrigo, and Big Thief. Each artist brought their own distinct sound to the album, ultimately resulting in an eccentric culmination of songs that jump between different genres and tones.
The album opens with “Opening Night” by the Arctic Monkeys which is a chill cafe-pop type song. It feels like a fresh new version of the Arctic Monkeys compared to their past signature indie rock style featured in songs like “One For The Road” or “R U Mine?”
The track list includes plenty of slower songs too, like Beth Gibbons’s cover of “Sunday Morning” by The Velvet Underground. This cover feels like a haunting lullaby, and is rather mournful—fitting the theme of the album. I really enjoyed Wet Leg’s “Obvious” which was a sweeter lullaby-type song, feeling more heartening than Beth Gibbon’s eerie rendition of “Sunday Morning.” Wet Leg, known as an indie rock band, truly switched up their style for “Obvious.” Mainly acoustic guitar and vocals, Rhian Teasdale (the lead vocalist) sang the delicate song softly, a departure from her usual punky-like vocals. This shows Wet Leg’s softer side, revealing their musical diversity.
There are also a couple of heavier songs on the album such as “Universal Soldier” by Depeche Mode, which, if you know Depeche Mode, sounds exactly how you think it is: very much new wave, featuring lots of synth and electronic sounds. The two heaviest songs on the album were Pulp’s “Begging for Change” and Young Father’s “Don’t Fight the Young”. Both these songs lean into the intense punk energy and even happen to be next to each other on the track list.
The track that stood out the most to me was Geese frontman Cameron Winter’s “Warning” which was an unsettling lyric driven song intended to make the listener uncomfortable, and therefore, listen even closer. This song was definitely the most powerful song of the album; it felt like the “call to action” track, as Winter was essentially encouraging the listener to take immediate action rather than watching conflict rise. It was out of the question to skip this song when listening to the album; it’s the most powerful with a direct message that’s impossible to ignore. Winter delivers an urgent sounding string arrangement that almost sounds like a pulse behind his contrasting calm sounding vocals. His tone sounds sinister and adds to the extremity of the situation that the song discusses. His lyrics write “This is your warning/for some are not pulled into moving cars/some are not dragged down Fifth Avenue by the hairs in their ears.” The song isn’t particularly elegant or sweet, but it says what needs to be said with a striking twist.
The album not only featured big names, but also introduced me to artists I had never heard of before.The British band Foals wrote “When The War Is Finally Done” a song with a beautiful string arrangement and impactful lyrics. I had never heard of Foals before but after listening to their track on this album, I’m sure I’ll be listening to them more. The lyrics, which were very relevant and impactful, stuck with me after listening: “Tell me when our kids are safe from the threats of guns/won’t you wake me up when the war is finally done?” Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis mentioned that the song is written from the perspective of a young soldier watching from the afterlife as the world returns to normalcy after war has ended.
War Child UK’s HELP albums have raised money and vocal support for children living through conflicts for over 30 years. The money can ultimately allow War Child UK to provide emergency support and protection for these children. Using the music community to strengthen the support for a charitable cause is an excellent idea, as it can help bring communities together all sharing the same love for the music and cause.
Overall, I strongly suggest you to listen to this album, not only for the sake of the extremely powerful lyrics and arrangements, but also because it’s for a good cause. The profits go to children who need support in times of crisis, and the good music is just an additional bonus to the whole foundation. This album is definitely a musical highlight of 2026 so far, and I’m happy to know that this album will help children rebuild their lives.