Sting: The Last Ship - 2013

 

This was an interesting album of songs written by Sting for a musical about the decline of Newcastle shipyards in the eighties. 

It actually has a traditional, folky feel to it as an album that evokes the 1930s as opposed to the eighties. Northumbrian pipes (courtesy of long-time collaborator Kathryn Tickell) and Celtic-influenced airs abound throughout, and Sting sings in character on several occasions, adopting a working man’s vernacular that attracted derision upon release but, for me, is perfectly authentic and atmospheric, adding to the songs’ appeal. 

The album begins with three excellent tracks in The Last Ship, Dead Man’s Boots and the very Chris Rea-esque And Yet, giving the collection a really positive start. Other highlights are The Language Of Birds and the folky Ballad Of The Great Eastern. 

Admittedly, the album tails off a bit towards the end with some stagey narrative passages, but So To Speak is a fine song. Overall, I like the album, it should not be dismissed, existing as it does almost as a credible historical social document.

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