If The Moon Could Talk - Tracey Curtis

This album catapults Tracey Curtis from relative unknown to leading agit-prop songwriter in twelve gloriously concise songs. She announces herself with I won't wear the Union Jack, expounds on the horrors of war in Shell Shock, Where are they Now? and Remember Me. Vegetarianism is skilfully treated in the witty Leonardo, Percy, Leo & Albert. She also sings about institutionalised violence towards women, Fair Trade and of a mother's concern for children.
What sets this album apart is the brio with which it is accomplished. No song over stays its welcome and the tunes are genuinely catchy. It also captures Curtis' live sound perfectly. Robb Johnson who brought George Papavegeris to a wider audience has unearthed another diamond in Curtis and this outing on his Irregular Records Unlabelled label should do the same for her. Anyone with a social conscience will love this album. Just like the cover art by Tracey Curtis herself it is a masterpiece in miniature.