A-Listers and Indie Stars Rock Out for a Good Cause on ‘Help (2)’

Album Review A-Listers and Indie Stars Rock Out for a Good Cause on ‘Help (2)’ Oliva Rodrigo, Cameron Winter, and Arctic Monkeys are just a few of the acts who shine on this charity compilation for children affected by violent conflict By Jonathan Bernstein Jonathan Bernstein View all posts by Jonathan Bernstein March 3, 2026 Help was a phenomenon. Not only did the 1995 benefit compilation from the British charity War Child UK debut a song that would later appear on Radiohead’s OK Computer , feature Sinead O’Connor covering Bobbie Gentry, and spawn a short-lived supergroup between Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, and Paul Weller, it also raised more than 1.5 million dollars for children living in war-stricken areas like Bosnia. In the ensuing years, the organization has attempted to create that album’s magic in various iterations of subsequent charity compilations . But they’ve never come closer than on Help (2) , the official sequel that comes 30-plus years later, at a time when it’s more necessary than ever to raise money for children affected by conflict everywhere from Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and Syria. The entry point for many will be the A-listers on the tracklist, like Olivia Rodrigo ’s surprising cover of a Magnetic Fields song and Cameron Winter offering his first original song since he and Geese exploded into the stratosphere over the past 12 months. But Help (2) is simultaneously adventurous and pleasantly conventional in its attempt to recreate its predecessor’s formula of bridging generations, showcasing titanic bands (the lead single, “Opening Night,” is the first offering from Arctic Monkeys since 2022), and providing opportunities for artists to pay tribute to their heroes. Most exciting are originals from artists like Black Country, New Road, Arlo Parks, Big Thief, and Sampha, whose ballad “Naboo” is particularly moving regardless of whether or not it’s about Jar Jar Binks ’ home planet. It’s a gift to hear these artists, at the peak of their caree...