It's been seven years since the last Billy Bragg album. Mr Love & Justice is a mixed bag of love songs and politics. Recorded in 2006 and 2007 there is still the familia guitar stutter in songs like Something Happened, with his trusty companions knows as The Blokes. Billy may have slowed down his material over the years - the title track sounds a lot like Elvis Costello, but he still can point an accusing finger in O Freedom.
Mr Love & Justice is an album that thrives on lesser known percussion instruments like the hang drum, the reco reco and cajón. Mr. Bragg can't get away from his Englishness, but he will be damned if he doesn't try. More power to him, the world needs singers who are not afraid to speak up.
Mr Love & Justice is released in the UK by Cooking Vinyl on 3 March 2008 and by Anti- in North America on 22 April. Shock Records is releasing the album in Australia and New Zealand. Also available as a deluxe 2CD with all the songs sung by a solo Billy. The single I Keep Faith is currently on his MySpace site, with backup vocals from Robert Wyatt.
Tracks:- I Keep Faith
- I Almost Killed You
- M For Me
- The Beach is Free
- Sing Their Souls Back Home
- You Make Me Brave
- Something Happened
- Mr. Love & Justice
- If You Ever Leave
- O Freedom
- The Johnny Carcinogenic Show
- Farm Boy
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