HELP(2) by War Child Records
86
ChoruScore
7 reviews
Established consensus
Mar 6, 2026
Release Date
War Child Records
Label
Established consensus Strong critical consensus

War Child Records's HELP(2) arrives as a galvanizing, star-studded charity compilation that marries political urgency with genuine emotional weight. Across seven professional reviews the record earned an 86.14/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to a handful of standout moments that make the collection fe

Reviews
7 reviews
Last Updated
Mar 9, 2026
Confidence
90%
Scale
0-100 critics
Primary Praise

The album's core strength is its star-studded collaborative lineup delivering emotionally resonant covers in service of War Child's cause.

Primary Criticism

Shared criticism is still limited across the current review sample.

Who It Fits

Best for listeners looking for charity/cause and collaboration, starting with Opening Night and Flags.

Standout Tracks
Opening Night Flags Universal Soldier

Full consensus notes

War Child Records's HELP(2) arrives as a galvanizing, star-studded charity compilation that marries political urgency with genuine emotional weight. Across seven professional reviews the record earned an 86.14/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to a handful of standout moments that make the collection feel purposeful rather than perfunctory.

Reviewers consistently praise Arctic Monkeys' “Opening Night” and the collaborative centerpiece “Flags” as two of the best songs on HELP(2), while Depeche Mode's “Universal Soldier” and Fontaines D.C.'s “Black Boys on Mopeds” are singled out for their menacing, urgent reinterpretations. Critics note that originals such as Sampha's “Naboo” and Young Fathers' “Don't Fight the Young” give the compilation anthemic momentum, and tracks like “Strangers” and “Sunday Morning” supply quieter emotional depth. Across the reviews, themes of nostalgia and legacy, cross-generational collaboration, and the album's role as collective artistic solidarity recur, with many commentators applauding how charity and activism are embedded into both song choices and performances.

While some pieces emphasize the record's urgency and political focus, others highlight its tenderness and interpretive risk-taking; the consensus suggests HELP(2) succeeds when big names lean into sincerity and fresh arrangements. For readers wondering if HELP(2) is good or which are the best songs on the album, professional reviews point to “Opening Night”, “Flags” and the record's striking covers and originals as definitive highlights. Below, the full reviews map how this benefit compilation balances advocacy, artistry and cross-generational appeal.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Opening Night

5 mentions

"Arctic Monkeys kick things off with ‘Opening Night’, the lead single and obvious headline grabber."
Still Listening Magazine
2

Flags

4 mentions

"Damon Albarn teams up with Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest ... for the song "Flags," and it is nothing short of stunning"
The Spill Magazine
3

Universal Soldier

5 mentions

"Depeche Mode take the boldest approach, draping a bubbling, cybergoth energy over ... ‘Universal Soldier"
DIY Magazine
Fontaines D.C.’s take on “Black Boys on Mopeds” by Sinead O’Connor is an ever-relevant callback
R
Rolling Stone
about "Black Boys on Mopeds"
Read full review
6 mentions
87% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Opening Night

5 mentions
100
04:19
2

Flags

4 mentions
100
05:06
3

Strangers

2 mentions
81
04:29
4

Let's Do It Again!

1 mention
55
04:31
5

Sunday Morning

1 mention
79
04:49
6

Lilac Wine

3 mentions
63
03:46
7

The 343 Loop

1 mention
20
02:06
8

Universal Soldier

5 mentions
99
03:20
9

Helicopters

2 mentions
77
03:58
10

Nothing I Could Hide

0 mentions
02:57
11

Parasite

1 mention
79
03:09
12

Say Yes

1 mention
55
02:36
13

Relive, Redie

1 mention
32
03:23
14

Black Boys on Mopeds

6 mentions
88
03:34
15

Warning

3 mentions
15
04:32
16

Don't Fight the Young

2 mentions
83
02:27
17

Begging for Change

5 mentions
99
04:20
18

Naboo

2 mentions
77
03:14
19

Obvious

3 mentions
51
03:31
20

When the War is Finally Done

2 mentions
83
03:57
21

Carried my girl

3 mentions
89
03:55
22

Sunday Light

2 mentions
77
04:02
23

The Book of Love

3 mentions
96
04:08

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album

100

Critic's Take

War Child Records presents HELP(2) as a thrilling, star-studded follow-up that feels like a collaborative album on steroids. The review revels in highlights such as “Opening Night” and “Flags”, praising their status as sonic gems and first new music moments. It lauds interpretations like “Sunday Morning” and “Lilac Wine” for beautiful performances, and celebrates the record's big-hitter covers as reason enough to seek out the best tracks on HELP(2). The overall tone is emphatic and celebratory, urging readers to buy this charity-packed collection now.

Key Points

  • Arctic Monkeys' “Opening Night” stands out as a key draw for the album due to its status as new music from a major band.
  • The album's core strength is its star-studded collaborative lineup delivering emotionally resonant covers in service of War Child's cause.

Themes

charity/cause collaboration tribute/covers star-studded roster

Critic's Take

War Child Records's HELP(2) reads like a call to action, and the reviewer's eye lands squarely on the best songs that drive that urgency. The write-up singles out “Flags” as the album's standout for its anguish-filled duet of voices, while Fontaines D.C.'s “Black Boys on Mopeds” and Depeche Mode's “Universal Soldier” are highlighted as powerful, haunting reinterpretations. The narrative praises how quieter moments such as “Obvious” and the punk charge of “Begging for Change” create emotional peaks and troughs that make the best tracks on HELP(2) feel both vital and deeply felt.

Key Points

  • The best song, “Flags”, is the standout due to its anguish-filled performances and emotional urgency.
  • The album's core strengths are its collaborative spirit and emotionally resonant reinterpretations that make charity feel urgent and vital.

Themes

charity and urgency collaboration cross-generational convergence emotional resonance

Critic's Take

In a convincingly generous and often moving voice, War Child Records’s HELP(2) finds its best songs in moments of committed emotional clarity: Foals’ “When the War is Finally Done” supplies anthem-sized grandeur, Bat for Lashes’ “Carried my girl” is a genuinely heart-wrenching centrepiece, and the shape-shifting collaboration “Flags” stands out as the record’s melancholic lynchpin. Matthew Davies Lombardi writes with a critic’s affection and precision, savouring the drama when artists lean fully into the cause and praising the album’s capacity to unite star power without competition. The result is an often brilliant compilation where the best tracks deliver both scale and sincerity, answering the question of the best songs on HELP(2) with unmistakable moments of care and craft.

Key Points

  • The best song moments combine star power with genuine emotional commitment, making tracks like “Flags” and “Carried my girl” stand out.
  • The album’s core strength is its collaborative scope, uniting varied artists to amplify a clear, humane protest message.

Themes

charity and activism collaboration among artists war and protest nostalgia and legacy
The Spill Magazine logo

The Spill Magazine

Unknown
Unknown date
90

Critic's Take

War Child Records's HELP(2) reads like a labor of love, full of exclusive, carefully crafted tracks that actually justify the cause. The reviewer's voice revels in how “Opening Night” unfurls from deceptively simple beginnings to a stirring finale, and praises how “Flags” and “Strangers” deliver some of the best tracks on HELP(2). There is delight in Depeche Mode's noisy electronic epic “Universal Soldier”, and an emotional note for Fontaines D.C.'s “Black Boys on Mopeds”. The overall tone is celebratory and convinced: these are not throw-away contributions but real songs that make the album brilliant and worth seeking out.

Key Points

  • Opening Night is best for its emotional build from simple beginnings to a stirring finale.
  • The album’s core strength is exclusive, carefully crafted collaborations that are both artistically strong and charity-minded.

Themes

charity collaboration exclusive new material emotional depth

Critic's Take

A star-studded compilation, War Child Records' HELP(2) finds its best songs where urgency meets genuine feeling, notably “Opening Night” and “The Book of Love”. Hannah Breen applauds Arctic Monkeys' hypnotic drive on “Opening Night”, which she calls a defining moment that proves big names can evolve. Olivia Rodrigo's cover “The Book of Love” is described in the same admiring breath - subtle, devastating and one of the compilation's most commanding moments. Pulp's “Begging For Change” is highlighted as an apex, an unnervingly catchy, full-throttle anthem that crystallises the record's political heart.

Key Points

  • Arctic Monkeys’ “Opening Night” is the best song for its hypnotic drive and proof that big names can evolve.
  • The album’s core strength is connecting generations and channels political urgency into emotionally resonant highs.

Themes

political urgency cross-generational collaboration charity/benefit compilation emotional resonance

Critic's Take

War Child Records's HELP(2) reads like an emergency dispatch that still makes room for beauty, and the best songs on HELP(2) prove it. Arctic Monkeys' “Opening Night” sets a dazzling table while Depeche Mode's “Universal Soldier” turns protest into something menacing and urgent.

Key Points

  • Arctic Monkeys' "Opening Night" is the standout for setting the album's tone with dazzling sophistication.
  • HELP(2)'s core strength is its ability to turn a charity compilation into cohesive, urgent artistic statements that balance hope and moral clarity.

Themes

humanitarian aid collective artistic solidarity hope versus urgency children in conflict

Critic's Take

The most compelling best tracks on HELP(2) are the originals and urgent anthems that feel born for the cause: Sampha’s moving “Naboo” and Young Fathers’ incendiary “Don’t Fight the Young”. Jonathan Bernstein writes with affectionate certainty about how the compilation bridges generations, praising titanic bands and unexpected covers while noting that Arctic Monkeys’ “Opening Night” and Fontaines D.C.’s “Black Boys on Mopeds” anchor the record. The best songs on HELP(2) balance adventurousness and convention, serving the charity’s message while standing as standalone highlights. Overall, the album succeeds as a gratifying, on-message sequel that showcases standout originals and striking reinterpretations.

Key Points

  • Sampha’s “Naboo” is the emotional high point, singled out as particularly moving.
  • The compilation’s core strength is bridging generations with cohesive, on-message originals and striking covers.

Themes

charity generational bridging covers and reinterpretation political urgency