Album Review

Billy Bragg – Mr Love and Justice

• 4th Mar 2008

I’m sure Billy Bragg used to be good. Maybe I just imagined it. Certainly on the strength of this album he’s either made poor use of his 25 years in the music business or simply run out of decent songs.

Bragg’s vocals really let him down on Mr. Love & Justice, with a more-than-competent band being let down by what comes across as an uninterested vocal performance. Songs like The Beach is Free, which should be joyful singalongs, are instead emotionless saunters through passable backing music, as if Bragg is counting down the three-minute running time in his head while he’s singing. Similarly, tentatively anti-war offering Sing Their Souls Back Home is so devoid of the necessary passion that all involved should hang their heads in shame (considering that you wrote and recorded it, that’s basically just you Billy).
There is the occasional good lyric – yes, just the one (it’s in M for Me, see if you can spot it) and even that is wasted. Most of the material on offer is so bland and forgettable that it’s not even worth mentioning here.

Billy Bragg will still inevitably have an audience, although I expect few fans will be chomping on the bit to get their hands on Mr. Love & Justice. Expect to see it in a bargain bin near you soon.