Sandi Thom – Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) (2024)
I was introduced to Sandi Thom in the mid-2000s with her critically acclaimed single ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)’, and I was obsessed from the first listen. It soon became my mobile phone ringtone, and I hummed it while grocery shopping. It was not Thom’s soothing vocals and the calm folk-pop melody but rather the sentiment and theme that resonated. Since 2006, Sandi Thom has toured extensively and released numerous award-winning, chart-topping singles and albums to international praise. Today we gander at her most recent single ‘Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed)’.
Following her 2023 singles ‘Silence’, ‘Soldier of Fortune’ and ‘Punkrocker’, Thom strides into the new year with her song ‘Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed)’. As with her well-known ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)’, ‘Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed)’ is a social narrative of today’s geopolitical situation and the disasters authoritarian figures have created and represent. Drawing references from the French Revolution, the Russia/Ukraine War, and even Brexit, the new single illustrates a profound concept not to be ignored. Interestingly, while one might imagine a bold, brash, heavy execution to deliver the profound message, Thom’s smooth vocals are potentially more effective in relaying the damning content.
“As songwriters and artists, we have the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the ‘vox populi’. Nothing will change if we do not take a stand and raise our voices together. There is, after all, power in our voice… we are down-out, down-beat and down-trodden and there has to be time for a change.” – Sandi Thom
Aptly named ‘Revolution Anthem’, the new single eloquently connects with under-represented, disenfranchised masses in words but also the melody. Using heavy drums and percussion, a tribal feeling is evoked – one that has you pumping your hand in the air while singing along with the revolutionary anthem. An acoustic guitar simultaneously enforces the need to stand up and be heard with a smooth folk-rock sincerity. For me, it is the power behind Thom’s vocals that hit you with a desire to protest igniting passion in a 70s folk-inspired manner.
In addition to the single, Sandi Thom released an official music video for ‘Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed). You can view the video below or on her YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Sandi Thom on her Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more revolutionary folk rock tracks on The Other Side Reviews Folk Rock playlist:
