Strangers

The Teesside vocal trio of Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes have captured hearts – and awards – with a magic combination of lusty a capella singing, memorable tunes and heart-on-sleeve storytelling, with an unashamedly political cry for social justice. It's a formula amplified on this fourth studio album. This is a record of lives – both recent and long-past – rendered in bold colours by Cooney's songwriting. What unites these narrative threads is the celebration of extraordinary deeds done by ordinary people: humanitarian heroes, immigrant dreamers and fighters against injustice. Cooney's telling of the true story of train passengers who foiled a terror attack on a train from Amsterdam to Paris in 2015 sends shivers down the spine. Supporting this reportage is a mixture of rousing, vocal-only tracks and songs underpinned by soft strings, guitar, piano and choir. Both types of songs are, in different ways, suffused with pathos, spirit and defiance. ‘Dark Water', which tells the story of a Syrian refugee who swam a five-mile strait in the Aegean Sea, is a seven-minute symphony, leading to a repeating chorus line with Cooney's lead vocal echoed by choir and instrumental ensemble. The Young'Uns are modern-day troubadours of working people, and it's a role they play with absolute commitment and huge skill.