Protest music against both candidates in the US presidential election is nothing new, but the 30 Days, 30 Songs project, started by novelist Dave Eggers, is undoubtedly the largest organised project we’ve seen so far. It is a playlist of 30 songs, one released for each day remaining until election day, “written and recorded by artists for a Trump-free America”.

The thing about political protest music is that it can very easily go very wrong. Indie rock, being a genre dominated by straight, middle-class white guys, is especially victim to this polarisation. At its best, protest music articulates the thoughts and feelings of the voiceless in an authentic way, without oversimplifying issues or patronising its audience. At its worst, it is the Green Day-esque cheesiness which treats its audience as a child that has to be won over by a series of edgy-sounding truisms that seem to focus more on the saintliness of the noble performer than the issues at hand. 30 Days, 30 Songs, so far, has featured both.

The Good

Death Cab For Cutie – ‘Million Dollar Loan’

Death Cab has never made an angry song in their career, so it is not surprising that this track is a quiet voice of protest. Accompanied by a beautiful music video, the track is the best thing Death Cab have released in years. It’s a somber denunciation of America as the land of the opportunity. “A million dollar loan/Nobody makes it on their own without a million dollar loan” frontman Ben Gibbard sings, backed by a beautiful instrumental combining the classic sound of acoustic guitars and tender percussion.

Aimee Mann – ‘Can’t You Tell’

Aimee Mann has always been a masterful storyteller who can inhabit a diversity of characters. Here she tackles the point of view of the man of the hour – Donald Trump. Mann describes an uneasy Trump, surprised that he ever made it this far on a bid that was originally a blind attempt at attention and power. “Isn’t anybody going to stop me?” she sings on the chorus, and paints a surprisingly sympathetic picture of a man who has no idea what he’s doing. This may or may not be an accurate representation of Trump – but the empathy Mann expresses is inspiring, and a tonic for the poisonous rhetoric of this election season.

The Bad

Jim James – ‘The Same Old Lie’

Jim James, lead singer of My Morning Jacket, delivers an adequate song, given that you do not speak a word of English. The guitars, synths and James’ voice are hypnotic and beautiful, so much so that I would really like to ignore the incredibly patronising lyricism. But with lines like “Follow on just like most everyone/But you and me we ain’t like most everyone” and “Can’t build love out of guns blood and sorrow”, no amount of pretty instrumentation can salvage James’ contribution. The whole song seems more set on affirming James’ unique nature as a loving and enlightened human being than protesting any injustice.

Franz Ferdinand – ‘Demagogue’

Franz Ferdinand is unquestionably one of the biggest bands involved, so it is disappointing that their song is a hurried mess. The lyrics referencing Trump’s shocking Planet Hollywood tape from only a week before the song’s release give this hurriedness away. The song is structured around various one-liners, describing the tired tropes of Trump-satire (“Those tiny vulgar fingers on the nuclear bomb”) and a refrain of shouting “He’s a demagogue!” after every single one. This gets old in approximately two seconds – and the tired guitar rock instrumentation does no wonders here either.

Despite the polarising nature of the project so far, 30 Days, 30 Songs remains interesting, if for nothing else than its ambition. Though it is unlikely that any of these tracks will change the minds of Trump supporters, such an organised act of protest from artists is impressive in its own right. The gems emerging from the project so far are a promising start.

You can follow the project at www.30days30songs.com