HELP(2) by War Child Records

Released on 06/03/2026 by War Child Records
Main artists: War Child Records
Genre: Alternative & Indie
Distinctions: Qobuz Album of the Week

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The first Help album—recorded in 1995 to benefit the organization War Child (an NGO founded in 1993 to support children in conflict zones)—was surprisingly good: Produced by Brian Eno, it delivered intriguing covers (Sinéad O'Connor on "Ode to Billie Joe"), stacked collaborations (Paul McCartney with Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher) and the biggest British bands of the moment. Likewise, a 2026 update punches well above its weight. This time around, the elder statesmen are Damon Albarn—who leads "Flags," a collab with Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten, Johnny Marr and poet Kae Tempest (among many others)—and Pulp. The latter delivers an absolute shock to the system in the form of "Begging for Change," a swirling dance track with wailing guitars that casts the revitalized band in a role we've never heard before: garage-rock bluster.

Arctic Monkeys also try on a new sound, dipping into Steely Dan-style harmonies on lush, lounge-y "Opening Night." Others stick to their wheelhouse without merely phoning it in. Last Dinner Party's great, glammy "Let's Do It Again" is a high-kick singalong punctuated with boozy brass. Cameron Winter of Geese channels the thriller scores of Bernard Herrmann for "Warning," a tense, sneering track guest-starring Amy Langley on anxiety-inducing cello. Wet Leg finally releases a studio version of fan-favorite live track "Obvious." Young Fathers' "Don't Fight the Young" is boisterous post-punk, and Arlo Parks' "Nothing I Could Hide" is an R&B pop beauty. And "Carried My Girl" by Bat for Lashes is a Kate Bush-esque knockout; Natasha Khan fully understood the assignment, turning in a heartbreaking portrait of parenting in the middle of a global conflict.

The covers are mostly stellar, too. Standouts include beabadoobee paying tribute to Elliott Smith with an emotional "Say Yes," Depeche Mode's pulsing take on Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier," and Portishead's Beth Gibbons turning the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning" into hazy dream pop. And Fontaines D.C. do an incredible job on Sinéad O'Connor's devastating "Black Boys on Mopeds," layering on forceful strings and rumbling drums without sacrificing the subtle power of the original. Beck and Pakistani singer/composer Arooj Aftab duet on "Lilac Wine" (made famous by Elkie Brooks, then Jeff Buckley), while Ezra Collective and Greentea Peng team up for rocksteady track "Helicopters," and Olivia Rodrigo is backed by Graham Coxon and others for The Magnetic Fields' "The Book of Love." The whole thing was organized by James Ford, who has produced work by so many of the acts here, and also serves as a reminder of the incredible influence he has on today's music. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

HELP(2)

War Child Records

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Opening Night

Arctic Monkeys