In the past couple of years, political events have had a dramatic and often divisive impact on the lives of residents in the UK and the US. We've seen our fair share of song-based reactions to Brexit and Donald Trump as the most common themes. The latest contributor to this musical commentary is Mickey Smith, aka A Blaze of Feather, who tackles politics on both sides of the Atlantic with double A-side 'Dust In The Wind' and 'November', referred to as 'Dust & November'. Both tracks have taken on a more americana/country form than his previous releases, which works especially well for 'November', a song written over a year ago, the day after Trump's presidential election. Filled with ever-more urgency is 'Dust In The Wind', a reaction to the British referendum on Brexit. Speaking about why he wrote these songs, Mickey Smith, explains: "Writing helped us find some clarity and we took that energy and put down both tunes live in the room together. The songs have become a focal point of our live shows ever since, moments of shared connection between folk from all walks. Music can raise spirits when that happens, transcend the spaces between and galvanise feelings in strange ways. No doubt it's an important time for human expression to counter and connect positively as one people right now, so here we are." Both tracks are destined for Smith's self-titled debut LP as A Blaze of Feather. - HT