PJ Harvey: Shaker Aamer

PJ Harvey Shaker AamerIn 2011, PJ Harvey made sure her politically-charged Let England Shake LP caught the attention of the powers that be by performing feet away from Prime Minister David Cameron, and now she’s back to put a musical spotlight on and even more specific controversy. “Shaker Aamer,” is the eponymous title of her new protest song for a Saudi Arabian man detained at Guantánamo Bay since 2002. Aamer — a 46-year-old whose family lives in England — has been among a group of prisoners taking part in a hunger strike this year, protesting their incarceration despite a trial and formal conviction. On the track (via The Guardian), Harvey sings from Aamer’s perspective with lyrics in the form of a letter from him describing the current state of his plight. Hear it above.