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Chris Guiton<\/strong> reviews Calum Baird’s latest release<\/em><\/p>\n Calum Baird\u2019s new single Modern Man<\/em> is a potent take on male identity.<\/p>\n The Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter and political activist writes about socialist and progressive themes in a deceptively simple folk music style. He describes Modern Man<\/em> as a \u201ccritique of masculinity as a social construct and how the values and systems around it develop.\u201d<\/p>\n The song focuses on the challenges faced by men forced to live up to society\u2019s expectations about how they should behave:<\/p>\n Who can tell if I\u2019m a man of brawn or a man of brain\/<\/em>Just as soon as I think I\u2019ve sussed it out the parameters have changed again\u2026I\u2019ll never be the superhero that inspired me\/I\u2019ll never be the action man that society expects me to be.<\/em><\/p>\n Bucking gender stereotypes in a patriarchal society can be difficult. The capitalist media bombards us with messages designed to promote a toxic view of masculinity, perpetuate gender inequality and underpin the economic status quo. Men need to be empowered to question what it means to be a man today, to consider how gender roles affect all our lives, and to promote gender equality and the exercise of human rights for all.<\/p>\n Calum Baird ably links his personal experience to these issues:<\/p>\n I\u2019m a modern man trying to navigate the world as best as I can\/When it comes to ancient stereotypes I don\u2019t give a damn<\/em>.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a fine singer and guitarist. And this is a great single. All power to him!<\/p>\n