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FilterFlourishes of horns add to the traditional band instrumentation, giving Bragg a solid foundation on which to convey his message. [Spring 2008, p.92]
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MojoMr. Love and Justice unvels a warmer, less blustry, more soulful Bragg. [Apr 2008, p.102]
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His best work transcends politics. Mr Love & Justice contains both he best and worst of Bragg.
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Six years after his last album, England, Half English, Bragg has come up trumps: Mr Love & Justice, with his band the Blokes, is his best realised work musically for ages.
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The scope of Mr. Love & Justice is often modest, but it speaks with grace, wisdom, and heart, and finds Billy Bragg a bit older, a bit wiser, and still committed to fighting the good fight; it's a return to form, a step forward, and a potent reminder of why Bragg's music still matters.
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Whether you prefer him shouting vitriol on the picket line or whispering sweet nothings in the bedroom, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.
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Bragg colors his brilliant Cockney-accented discourse with Appalachian folk on the Woody Guthrie-influenced 'O Freedom,' where he protests, "Freedom, what liberties are taken in thy name?" On 'I Keep Faith,' which features Soft Machine legend Robert Wyatt, he taps classic soul.
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Rather than being a return to form, it’s a leap forward in maturity, depth and nuance.
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Overall, Mr. Love and Justice is classic Bragg: frequently fantastic folk-rock that keeps both the faith and your attention.
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While he doesn't scale the heights he achieved on earlier albums, at least the mountains are visible from here.
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Recorded with his working band the Blokes, the album isn’t without its misfires (the obvious 'The Johnny Carcinogenic Show'), but it is Bragg’s most assured statement since hooking up with Wilco a decade ago to give life to lost Woody Guthrie lyrics.
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SpinBragg gets the balance of message and music just about right. [May 2008, p.94]
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The songs are pleasant enough, but they ultimately feel a bit over-thought, and Bragg often makes his best points with nothing more than his voice and an acoustic guitar.
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Mr. Love & Justice isn't exactly the musical equivalent of dropping flowers down the barrels of rifles, but there is a certain passivity to the disc, a characteristic magnified by the rootsy approach of Bragg's trusty band the Blokes, who channel the bucolic bent of the Band rather than the edge of the Clash.
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Unfortunately, when Bragg ventures back into well-trod territory, it falls somewhat flat. Though 'Sing Their Souls Back Home' focuses on troops stationed all over the world, the teeth of past protest songs are entirely absent.
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Bragg is taking stock. He’s now doing it for himself, at his own pace. Those in search of revelation from an old punk with a new perspective will be left hanging
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Q MagazineHere his long-established yet lumpy backers The Blokes too often impede his thoughtful lyrics. [Apr 2008, p.102]
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It is, for all its faults, still a solid record. But, coming from an artist as consistently brilliant as Billy Bragg has been, it could have been a lot more.
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Overall, though, Mr. Love & Justice is a collection of broken promises and lyrics that don’t live up to their potential.
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After six years away this pasty Americana comes as a big disappointment.
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Billy Bragg’s studio return finds him in his comfort zone provided by the Blokes and producer Grant Showbiz under yet another title copped from novelist Colin MacInnes.
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On the whole Mr Love & Justice is an album that sounds like it was made for the sake of it rather than to cascade any real statement of intent.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 5
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Mixed: 0 out of 5
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Negative: 1 out of 5
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Mar 20, 2021This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.