Phil Smith - That Which I Hold Dear (2026) [Hi-Res]

That Which I Hold Dear is a ten-track album by Australian singer-songwriter Phil Smith, released in 2026 on The A&R Department. The tracklist maps out a sharply political acoustic work rooted in the tradition of American protest folk, written against a backdrop of international conflict and social fracture. Titles such as "Mr President," "Gaza etc," and "Tear Down The Walls" place the album squarely in the lineage of the civic songwriting of Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen — artists long documented as key influences on Smith's output. Alongside its political statements, the record carries an introspective undercurrent: "It Took A Lifetime," "Nothing Is Changed," and "Sister Oh Sister" read as personal reckonings, giving the album the quality of an intimate diary. The closing title track frames what endures in the face of upheaval, while blues-inflected titles such as "Templeton St Blues" and "Prayin Hard for Rain" anchor the record in American roots blues and folk, filtered through the Australian experience.



Tracklist:
1-1 Phil Smith - Hey There Mister [3:05]
1-2 Phil Smith - Templeton St Blues [2:19]
1-3 Phil Smith - Nothing Is Changed [2:34]
1-4 Phil Smith - Prayin Hard for Rain [3:28]
1-5 Phil Smith - It Took A Lifetime [3:15]
1-6 Phil Smith - Mr President [3:11]
1-7 Phil Smith - Gaza etc [2:49]
1-8 Phil Smith - Tear Down The Walls [2:47]
1-9 Phil Smith - Sister Oh Sister [5:01]
1-10 Phil Smith - That Which I Hold Dear [3:51]