Last time around we saw JD Days in a romantic and sincere mood, this time out things seem to be much more tongue-in-cheek. Vote Now is a slightly silly take on a very serious subject and the message is a simple one -have your say, be heard, make your vote count. And unlike so many artists driven to write songs which reflect the politics and events of the world around them, especially in these fairly dark times, JD takes a very neutral stance on the matter. He’s not telling you who to vote for, there is no party political message, he is just saying that come election time we all need to make sure that we are part of the process. After all, if you don’t vote then you are leaving your own fate and fortune in the hands of other people. And you’ve met other people, right? Right@
And again, musically it is at the other end of the spectrum from the delicate and gorgeously-crafted Angel Woman. Here he is in the realm of terrace chants, of raucous sing-along, of jokey rant…and he’s clearly having fun with it. The song is laced with a modish, Brit-pop power, infused with punky-folk vibes, is brusque, buoyant and straight to the point.
I guess sometimes, especially in the modern age, the only way you can navigate your way through the political maelstrom or step deftly through the media minefield, is to not to take it all too seriously. Yet at the same time the decisions being made do have serious ramifications. So perhaps we should all adopt the same approach as JD does here. Make sure that you are part of the political process but have fun whilst you are doing so. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? Actually, that doesn’t bear thinking about…but you know what I mean.
