Just heard the Pet Shop Boys' new single "Integral" today.

Nah, I thought, the Pet Shop Boys are light fluffy pop, through and through. A 3-minute synth-and-strings-laden pop record isn't any kind of protest song. Is it...?

Well actually, yes it bloody well is! In fact, it's probably the first protest song to hit the charts since the Levellers packed it in. I don't know what the rest of the CD is like but I'll be getting it ASAP, and learning "Integral" and any other ones up to the same standard. If you can get over having synths in your folk music, keep an ear open on the radio and check it out. It may be short on the diddly-diddly, but it's definitely folk in its attitude and relevance.

A few links on the subject: BBC article about "Integral", "Integral" lyrics, and Wikipedia info on the album

Graham.