Nothing Can Stop Us

The seven-inch singles that Robert Wyatt released in the early 1980s, on independent label Rough Trade, were thought of by Wyatt as a form of journalism, sending missives out into the world. Those singles were also socio-political travelogue, of sorts, Wyatt covering inspired choices, from Chic’s “At Last I Am Free” to Violeta Parra’s “Arauco,” from Cuban patriot melody “Guantanamera” to protest song “Strange Fruit.” Wyatt intimately understood the historical resonance of the tunes he selected for those singles; compiled, on Nothing Can Stop Us, they sit neatly together, guest appearances from Disharhi and Peter Blackman rounding out the collection. The breadth of the material is as rich as the musical accompaniment – piano and double bass for “Strange Fruit”; shehnai and tabla for Ivor Cutler’s “Grass”; on “Red Flag,” Wyatt’s humming keyboards, and voice only on “Stalin Wasn’t Stalling.” Sublime stuff.