''Wake the Union'' is the sixteenth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by British folk duo

Show of Hands Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mandoc ...

. Although their fifteenth studio album, it is their eighth in their "canon" of studio albums (albums of new, lyrical material still in print). The release follows the successful '' Arrogance Ignorance and Greed'' (2009) and the limited edition albums '' Covers 2'' (2010) and ''

Backlog 2 ''Backlog 2'' is the fifteenth studio album by Devonian folk duo Show of Hands. Following the release of their limited edition "back to basics" cover album '' Covers 2'' (2010), which was intended for "fans and friends" and released in a limited ...

'' (2011). Recorded and produced by Mark Tucker, the album takes a strong influence from both English and American folk music and was created as a "journey through of he two countries'landscapes united by a common tongue and musical heritage". The album again features their unofficial third member Miranda Sykes. The album was also described by Knightley as a direct continuation of ''Arrogance Ignorance and Greed'', although critics saw it as very distinct in its own right. The album was also a 20th anniversary celebration for the duo. Released in October 2012 by the band's own label

Hands on Music A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "han ...

, it charted at number 73 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

, some 100 higher places than their only other album to chart at the time, ''Arrogance Ignorance and Greed''. It was released to very positive reviews from critics, with some touting it as the duo's best album. The duo toured in promotion of the album from 2012 to 2014, although several songs from the album had debuted live in 2010. A

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

featuring alternative versions of "Aunt Maria" and "King of the World" was released in 2013, whilst a

rockumentary A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

documenting the making of the album, ''Making the Waking'', was released as a double-feature DVD release in 2013 with a

concert film A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

taken from the album's promotional tour, ''Live at Shrewsbury'', which was a collaboration with the

Urban Soul Orchestra ''The Independent'' describes Urban Soul Orchestra as a "contemporary string ensemble with a repertoire of funky arrangements". Their discography includes artists ranging from classical, jazz, funk, soul, dance and contemporary music. History ...

Background

Show of Hands released their fourteenth studio album '' Arrogance Ignorance and Greed'' in 2009. The album was the second consecutive release by the band produced by an "outside producer", namely Stu Hanna of the English folk duo Megson, with additional production by Mark Tucker. The album followed a painfully emotion period for Steve Knightley where members of his family battled serious illnesses. This led to the album becoming particularly personal and darker than previous Show of Hands albums, aided by Hanna's direct and sharp production. The album was also very politically concerned. The album was released to a positive critical reception, many praising the darker tone to the album, although

Phil Beer Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Biography Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whils ...

of the duo stated that the album did not sit well with several fans. The album entered the

UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

at number 170, becoming their first album to chart. In 2010, the duo recorded their second album of cover versions, '' Covers 2'', for a limited edition release, and recorded a collection of re-recordings of older material, ''

'', in 2011. Meanwhile, the duo had decided to change their sound for their next release, and to take part in the production of the album, something the duo had not done since '' Country Life'' (2003). They decided to re-hire Mark Tucker as co-producer. In January 2012, Knightley took part in the

Cecil Sharp Project The Cecil Sharp Project was a multi-artist, residential commission to create new material based on the life and collections of the founding father of the English Folk Revival Cecil Sharp. The residential took place in March 2011, immediately fol ...

, a commission that included Knightley to create new material based on the life and collections of the founding father of the English folk revival

Cecil Sharp Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was an English-born collector of folk songs, folk dances and instrumental music, as well as a lecturer, teacher, composer and musician. He was the pre-eminent activist in the development of t ...

. Knightley's musical focus became more evident in its

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

influence, and this would dominate the following album. After a year away from studio recording in 2011, the band recorded the album in 2012, over three different

recording studios A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

; Phil's Music Room in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, The Green Room, Devon and Highlands Farm Barn. The album was mastered at Masterblaster Audio Mastering in Canalot Studios,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The working name of the album was ''Who Gets to Feel Good'', but was later changed to ''Wake the Union''.

Music and lyrics

Style

Produced by Mark Tucker, ''Wake the Union'' is a crossover between

English folk music The folk music of England is a tradition-based music which has existed since the later medieval period. It is often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music. Folk music traditionally was preserved and passed on orally wit ...

and

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

and is a non-narrative

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about the two countries. Born out of the duo's love of both

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and North American acoustic and roots music, the album was described by the duo as taking "a journey through the heart of two landscapes united by a common tongue and musical heritage." The album feature themes and styles that alternate between the two countries. The band's website says that the album sees the duo "weave a touch of

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

, a hint of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and a pinch of

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

" into the album. UK Folk Music noted that "with more than a touch of

liberally sprinkled throughout the recording and images of

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...

tumbleweed blowing about courtesy of sampled instruments," the album could provide the band an American breakthrough. ''Northern Sky'' observed that although Knightley is known for his "distinctly English songs, the material on ''Wake the Union'' tends to straddle the border of what we now know as Americana in places, but with the band's British acoustic roots still showing." The ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' said the album shows the duo return with "less anger and more music ranging from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

shuffles to

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

baiting". ''Folk Radio'' also observed that some tracks contain influences of the

, a commission that included Knightley to create new material based on the life and collections of the founding father of the English folk revival

. Knightley also stated that the album intentionally carries on where the band's previous Knightley-composed album '' Arrogance Ignorance and Greed'' had left off. The album was also described by the duo as their "20th anniversary" album. Whilst the duo had become Show of Hands in 1987, it was not until 1992 that they would record their first canonical album. Concerning the album's lyrics, Folk Radio observed that there is "a liberal sprinkling of death and desertion throughout the songs, but this is folk music, the body count is always high." David Kidman of ''NetRhythms'' has said that the album contains "acerbic topical and social commentary through historical storytelling to evocative Americana, throwing in traditional-style folk-romance, matters of the heart and work arising from special projects along the way, all the while meaningfully interweaving key influences and inspirations yet making the resultant creations uniquely their own. And that's a hell of a skill to have developed." The album features numerous guest musicians, including the duo's unofficial "third member" Miranda Sykes on

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

and vocals, alongside

Martin Simpson Martin Stewart Simpson (born 5 May 1953) is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in Britain, Ireland, America and beyond. He builds a purposeful, often upbeat voi ...

Seth Lakeman Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. Ac ...

, BJ Cole,

Andy Cutting Andy Cutting (born 18 March 1969) is an English folk musician and composer. He plays melodeon and is best known for writing and performing traditional English folk and his own original compositions which combine English and French traditions w ...

Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical style ...

's Paul Sartin, Cormac Byrne and

Leonard Podolak The Duhks are a Canadian folk fusion band, formed in 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Featuring banjo, fiddle, guitar, percussion, and vocals, The Duhks blend folk music together with various Canadian and American traditional styles, includin ...

Composition

Co-written between Knightley and the song's guest musician

, the opening song, "Haunt You", is a "hard-hitting and spiteful" song with "bitter recrimination". The laidback

-styled "Company Town" is reminiscent of "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime?". It features a

shuffle that has been compared to Richard Thompson, and has been described as a lyrical continuation of the themes from '' Arrogance Ignorance and Greed''. The song features Paul Sartin of

's Cor Anglais and

Paul Downes Paul Downes is an English folk guitarist, singer and composer. He has appeared on eight albums with bands, three highly acclaimed solo albums and has over 150 session credits. He has toured every concert venue, theatre and festival in Britain, p ...

performing

tenor banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

. "Now You Know" showcases the duo's lighter side and was a concert regular for the duo for several years prior to the album's release. David Kidman of ''NetRhythms'' described it as "one of Knightley's solid-gold-classic romantic dilemma-songs". "Katrina" is about the tragedy of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, and features

's 5 string

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

and the

dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

of Phil Henry creating an

ethereal Ethereal may refer to: * Ethereal (horse), a horse that won Australia's Caulfield Cup as well as Melbourne Cup in 2001 *Ethereal wave, or simply ethereal, a subgenre of dark wave music *Wireshark, formerly named Ethereal, a free and open-source pac ...

backdrop. The titular river of "Cruel River" is the

River Dart The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth. Name Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...

and is a re-recording of the song originally featured on Knightley's solo album ''

Cruel River ''Cruel River'' is the second solo studio album by English folk singer-songwriter Steve Knightley. Knightley had spent 2006 with Show of Hands, his duo with Phil Beer, recording, releasing and promoting their twelfth album together, ''Witness'', ...

'' (2007). "Aunt Maria", which features

from

, is about the titular Aunt meeting song collector

. The song originated from Knightley's involvement in Cecil Sharp Project in January 2012, where he developed material with British and American musicians to celebrate Cecil Sharp's Appalachian song gathering. The BBC said that "Maria allows her song to be recorded and her history told, but is uneasy about the difference in class between herself and Sharp, and anxious that she shouldn't be the only one to whom the collector talks. "There's lots more folk like me, sir," Knightly sings as Maria. "Why don't you come and see, sir?"." As with "Katrina", the song features

performing a 5-string

. Sykes interjects two verses from the traditional song "Bonnie Light Horseman" into the album's seventh song "Coming Home", "subtly complicating heotherwise simple tale of a family's bad seed." The song is a "telling snapshot of the Afghan war campaign." "Reunion Hill" is about a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

window, and is a cover of

Richard Shindell Richard Shindell (born August 3, 1960) is an American folk singer, songwriter, producer, and musician. Shindell grew up in Port Washington, New York, and now lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, Lila Caimari, a university professo ...

's Prairie ballad. "No Man's Land" is a "sparsely-scored genuine-angst-ridden slow-burner" dedicated to the late

Jackie Leven Jackie Leven (18 June 1950 – 14 November 2011) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a solo ...

. The tenth track is the duo's cover of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's lesser-known cowboy song "Seven Curses". "Home to a Million Thoughts" is a song of "simple wistful nostalgia" written as a commission for the reopening of Exeter's

Royal Albert Memorial Museum Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) is a museum and art gallery in Exeter, Devon, the largest in the city. It holds significant and diverse collections in areas such as zoology, anthropology, fine art, local and overseas archaeolo ...

. "Who Gets to Feel Good" is a

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

er that demonstrates Knightley's" skill in transposing the perils of love to the indigenous American musical idiom". "Stop Copying Me" is a tongue-in-cheek song that turns a suspicious eye on the life virtual and digital. After "King of the World" is the album's concluding song, "Thanks", which was used as the band's concert closer.

Release and promotion

''Wake the Union'' was released on 15 October 2012 by the band's own record label

. The album underwent long promotional campaigns. "Now You Know" and "Stop Copying Me" were both first played live in 2010, and became concert standards for the duo. Other songs from this album debuted live in August 2012 during the album's promotional tour, including "Haunt Me", which was performed at Beautiful Days during the same bill that included Lakeman. The album was touted as the duo's "20th anniversary celebration". The duo toured in promotion of the album from 2012 to 2013. The duo made several radio appearances to promote the album, including on

Simon Mayo Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022. Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...

's ''Drivetime'' show on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

on 6 March 2013. In December 2012, the duo appeared on Brooklands Radio's ''Mainly Folk'' programme in a special interview feature. "Now You Know" was included on the station's "''Mainly Folk'' Playlist". The duo's performance of "Company Town" on Mark Radcliffe's

show was included on the compilation album ''The Mark Radcliffe Folk Sessions 2013'', released in November 2013. Different versions of the songs "Aunt Maria" and "King of the World" were released as a

by Proper Records in 2013. The songs were remixed by their original producer, Mark Tucker, and the single was the duo's first vinyl release. In Autumn 2013, a behind-the-scenes "making of"

about the album, entitled ''Making the Waking'', was released as a DVD set with a

of the duo entitled ''Live from Shrewsbury''. Mark Tucker also provided the role of producer for the documentary. The DVD set, entitled simply ''Live at Shrewsbury / Making the Waking'', was the band's first DVD release since 2007. The ''Live at Shrewsbury'' concert is a collaboration between the duo and the

, who act as the duo's prolific backing band, and was recorded at

Shrewsbury Folk Festival Shrewsbury Folk Festival is an annual festival of folk and world music and traditional dance held in the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. It takes place over four days on and around the UK Late Summer bank holiday weekend (usually the ...

. Knightley also released ''Songbook 5: Wake the Union'' in 2013 at the start of his solo tour, a

songbook A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano manu ...

containing all fourteen songs he composed for ''Wake the Union'', as well as material from '' Covers 2'', his solo album ''Live in Somerset'', and ''The Cuatro Tracks'' bonus material−seven tracks originally written and arranged for

cuatro Cuatro is Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the number four. Cuatro may also refer to: * Cuatro (instrument), name for two distinct Latin American instruments, one from Puerto Rico (see Cuatro) and the other from Venezuela (see Cuatro) ...

and

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

Album cover

The album cover, created by design agency Stylorogue, and Mark Higenbottam, features a cotton-stringed

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

adorned with various English and North American symbols, reflecting the English and American themes of the album. The symbols featured vary, such as highway road signs (the signs for

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

and the

A303 The A303 is a trunk road in southern England, running between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon via Stonehenge. Connecting the M3 and the A30, it is part of one of the main routes from London to Devon and Cornwall. It is a pri ...

), national flags (the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

), other national symbols (such as the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

and the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of differ ...

) as well as folk performers, including

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

and his "

This machine kills fascists "This machine kills fascists" is a message that Woody Guthrie placed on his guitar in the mid 1940s, starting in 1943. Conception Circa 1943, in the midst of World War II, Guthrie wrote the war song "Talking Hitler's Head Off Blues". This was pr ...

" guitar. Elsewhere in the packaging is photography from Rob O'Connor, and the album's lyrics. The album cover was highlighted in several reviews. ''Folk Radio'' said that a glance at the album cover "leaves no doubt as to he duo'sintention, there's the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

and the Stars and Stripes,

's guitar still promising to kill fascists, and you can head west on the highway that's the best, that's either

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

or the

, your choice. This showcasing of both English and American roots to the music is surely no surprise from Phil Beer given his solo and Phil Beer Band output. But it's maybe less expected from Steve Knightley, many of whose strongest songs resonate with a sense of place that is not just English but quintessentially West Country." ''Northern Sky'' said that "the cover shot of a well-travelled guitar maps out the journey these songs represent with little or no ambiguity." ''UK Folk Music'' commended the album cover as "stunning art design". Grem Devlin of ''The Living Tradition'' made note of the album's overall packaging, saying "as usual the packaging is excellent – indeed a lyrics book where us mere mortals can actually read the words without the need for a microscope." The album was a runner-up in ''

fRoots ''fRoots'' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally ''Folk Roots'') was a specialist music magazine published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in folk and world music, and featured regular compilation downloadable albums, with occas ...

''' list of the top five "Best Packaged Albums of 2012".

Reception

The album was released to a very favourable critical reception.

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

were positive about the album, saying that "it's unlikely to win over many new fans, but those already under the band's wingspan are, once again, richly rewarded with another thought-provoking collection." ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' rated the album with four stars out of five said "The success of ''Wake The Union'' is in blending the band's trademark British folk with Americana. Knightley (part of the trio that includes Phil Beer and double bassist Miranda Sykes) describes it as "a journey through the heart of two landscapes united by a common tongue and musical heritage." The ''

'' published a four star review saying "The duo returns with less anger and more music ranging from jazz shuffles to slide guitar baiting." ''Folk Radio'' said that "''Wake the Union'' comes across as a return not just to their musical roots but also to pleasing this core audience. In contrast to ''AIG'', and previous album ''Witness'', both Phil and Steve took a full part in the production of ''Wake the Union'', alongside named producer Mark Tucker. So, whilst the material ranges widely in its geography, the sound is unmistakably that of Devon's finest." David Kidman of ''NetRhythms'' concluded that "''Wake the Union'' is definitely another milestone in Show Of Hands' already stunningly illustrious career." Pete Fyfe of ''UK Folk Music'' rated the album "unreservedly ten out of ten" and said that "personally for me this album really is a turning point in my appreciation for all things American styled and congratulations must go to the other musicians involved in the project." Norman Chalmers's review for ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'' singled out "Haunt You" as a song that readers should download and rated the album four stars out of five. Singer-songwriter

Mike Harding Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. Harding has also been a photographer, traveller, filmmaker and playwright. Early life and education Harding's ...

said on

that "they've made a shedload of great albums...this is their best album," whilst radio DJ and television presenter

said that "''Wake the Union'' is one fine album". Similarly, the album's producer Mark Tucker said the album had been "repeatedly hailed" as "their best yet". ''The Daily Telegraph'' included the album in its unordered list of the "Best Folk Music Albums of 2012". In January 2013, the duo were nominated in the Songlines Music Awards. The album charted at number 73 in the

, becoming their second album to chart after '' Arrogance Ignorance and Greed'', which reached number 170. Earlier in the week, it had charted in the Midweek Charts at number 35. Nonetheless, the duo were not concerned with charting on the UK Album Charts. When asked by ''Alt Blackpool'' if they would hope their following album would reach the top 10, Steve Knightley replied: "No, not at all. It doesn't mean anything. People get to number one because the record companies give away one free with every one that's bought so it's a big con. We're more concerned with selling to people at gigs and selling regularly at realistic prices so it's a nice PR thing every now and then but it doesn't mean much."

Track listing

All songs written by

Steve Knightley Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...

except where noted. #"Haunt You" (with

) #"Company Town" #"Now You Know" #"Katrina" ( Chris Hoban) #"Cruel River" #"Aunt Maria" (with The Cecil Sharp Project) #"Coming Home" #"Reunion Hill" (

) #"No Man's Land" #"Seven Curses" (

) #"Home to a Million Thoughts" #"Who Gets to Feel Good" #"Stop Copying Me" #"King of the World" #"Thanks"

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Show of Hands albums Concept albums Americana albums