Chumbawamba have always been a band of contradictions. While their fiercely anti-everything stance placed them as far from the mainstream as any band since Crass, they also kept producing album after album of fantastic pop songs.
They did the whole EMI and Top Of The Pops thing, pocketed the cash, then founded their own label and started doing their own sweet thing on their own sweet terms once more. Last time out, on Readymades, that involved marrying breakbeats with samples of old English folk music. That concept is developed here, with the band demonstrating a much larger global view than before, at least musically, sampling sounds from Latin America to Africa and beyond.
The old fire is still very much in the belly, however, and the two make for a glorious combination. The scope of this record puts other bands to shame, managing to bring a world of stories together – from the cricket protests in Zimbabwe (‘Be With You’) to a chilling look at the Columbine shootings (‘We Don’t Want To Sing Alone’) and feminist activists in Bolivia (‘When Fine Society Sits Down To Dine’).
With detailed, witty sleeve notes, Un is as good a read as it is a listen. On that level, the sound is less abrasive than before, with the melodies and harmonies given more of a foothold, yet there’s still no doubting their ability to pen a rousing agit pop anthem. Un is a record that manages to sound both completely unlike Chumbawamba and comfortably up there with their best moments. Sheer bloody genius.