Cass McCombs – “Bradley Manning”

May 01, 2012

by Jon Pappo

Call me cynical, but I have a particular disdain for songs of the political variety. The intentions are (usually) in the right place, but they almost always end up being too preachy, too vague, or just boring. I probably sound like an old fogey/asshole. Oh well. If anyone could change my mind, it would be Cass McCombs. And does he? Well, kind of. And anyway, what do I know, I’m 12.

Cass McCombs latest song and video “Bradley Manning” resides in the well-worn genre of political folk, explaining the facts of IRL soldier Manning who passed along some highly confidential information to WikiLeaks, and subsequently, got himself in a whole heap of trouble. Playing with American iconography, the video paints a rather damning portrait of the failings of supposed patriotism and all of its hypocrisies. It’s a narrative song through and through, with a specificity that allows it to avoid most of the trappings of “government is bad,” “Bush sucks,” “Kony 2012,” etc.

The “Bradley Manning” single is out now on Domino.