Billy Bragg Mr. Love and Justice Like waiting for Dylan to figure it out and make one more acoustic solo album, I’d always hoped for one more Billy Bragg album like the old days with just the voice, reverb heavy electric guitar, heartbreak and radicalism. I was thrilled then to hear that Mr Love and Justice was being released with a bonus CD of all the same tracks in a solo voice and guitar version. It’s interesting hearing the two version back to back, and not always in the way I thought. The band version of the second song “I Almost Killed You” opens with a burst of acoustic guitars and handclaps that make you want to get out of your seat more than any other song on the album, whereas on the solo version it just sounds like overly-distorted electric noise. On the upbeat tracks most of the energy is lost in the solo versions, whereas the already slow tracks (the majority of the album) benefit much more from the stripped down, intimate recordings. The solo versions also show off Billy’s always great guitar playing while making some of the cheesier songs sound a little more natural. I’m not going to say this is a great album on par with his earlier ones, but it is definitely good, and his most consistent in recent memory. The songs are catchy and with the new band it sounds less overtly poppy then some of his other recent ones. There’s a lot of acoustic guitar, mandolin, and easy bass lines, making it sound more country than anything else. As the title suggests it’s an attempt to unite the two eternal themes of all his songs of girls and politics. When he sings “I keep faith in you,” on the sentimental opener, it’s addressed as much to a loved one as it is to everyone living through ridiculous times on either side of the Atlantic. Most of the love songs read as thinly-veiled social commentary or encouragement to our better natures. One of the best parts is his new found love of word play. “M for Me,” is chock full of corny bits like “take the M for me and Y for you out of Family and it all falls through,” which was just cute enough to laugh at and appreciate the new, middle-aged Billy. Or in “O Freedom,” where he sings “O Freedom what liberties you’ve taken in thy name,” a quip so obvious and unfortunately true you’d expect to have seen it on a t-shirt somewhere by now. The album is at it’s best when it sticks to the friendly and the cute. Most of the more serious political songs fall a little short on inspiration. “O Freedom” is a story about someone sent into extraordinary rendition, and sounds like it was written by a man sitting safely in his living room reading about it in a newspaper. “Sing Their Souls Back Home” is a nice sing-along for the troops, but not the most biting song out there. “The Johnny Carcinogenic Show” is another almost-decent pun, but taking pot shots at tobacco advertising doesn’t seem like the most pressing issue right now. I suppose a wordplay on Zoloft would have been too hard to pull off. I remember after 9/11 I was half waiting for a new Bragg album, thinking if anyone could give us some songs for everything it’d be him. When England, Half English finally came out years after, it was a bit of a disappointment to have hardly a mention of anything going on, with most of the politics being an
Bridge and Tunnel East/West
After little more than a promising demo—pressed onto a 7” by No Idea last year—Bridge and Tunnel seem to have already garnered anticipation for their debut full length. And why not? Their 7” was short and sweet, combining the best things about positive punk rock from both coasts over the last two decades. With a half male/ half female lineup dividing vocal duties, they’ve already positioned themselves to add an extra wrinkle to the genre’s all-important vocal harmonies. The results on East/West are mixed, but usually fall in the direction of the band and what’s left of thoughtful melodic punk in 2008. They deftly use gruff, but catchy hooks from the best of 90’s East Bay punk, especially Crimpshrine. It’s hard not to notice links to much of their own label’s past as well. Early Small Brown Bike is the first thing that comes to mind, though there is a lighter feel to B&T. An even balance between twinkly guitar leads and off-center bar chords works to their advantage. The super positive (but not naïve) feel nods toward Latterman—drummer Pat Schramm’s previous band—lyrically and sonically. There are a few ungraceful moments, especially rhythmically on “Grace For These Wayward Hearts” and “Dear Sir.” But tracks like “Call To The Controller’s Office” and the haphazardly towering “Down For My People Like Joe Carroll” more than make up for it. Well-versed in the past, but never overtly nostalgic
over intellectualized contemplation of national identity. Ever since, I’d given up on anyone from the older generations (Neil Young especially) to give us much in the way of inspiring political music for the new century. This album seemed to confirm that for me until “Something Happened” came on and gave me a little chill. It’s a full minute of building electric guitar and then just the line “Do you know what love is? Love is when you willingly place someone else’s priorities above your own.” After another minute of guitar, “Do you know what lust is? Lust is when you actively force your own priorities on someone else.” Listen to it on the solo version especially and in his drawling croon it’s as naked a lament of the last seven years as I’ve heard. It’s not funny, pretty or catchy, and it’s probably not the best track for a party mix, but it was sung and it’s there, and thanks for that. [Cuomo]
www.anti.com
and musically varied without straying too far from the path. Ideally, it would be accompanied by the damp smell of a packed VFW hall on a summer night. Barring that, this is a pretty complete picture of what melodic punk rock should be in 2008. [Anderson]
www.noidearecords.com
The Brokedowns Six Songs
These six songs were recorded between the band’s two full lengths in 2006, but never saw the light of day until now. Their use of audio clips and samples is Dillinger Four-esque, as are tracks like “Dan has Powers,” blending a personal anecdote with political subtexts and a shout-along chorus. They throw down a cover of V Reverse’s :Clinical Rock: and it’s almost to the T of the original. A comment on commercial music’s bland “formula pop,” a commentary not sorely lacking, but The Brokedowns do it fast-paced justice. “The Brah of Iran” introduction is thirty-five seconds of bird chirps, briefly soothing you before the band bursts in with off-time, mid-tempo anger seemingly directed at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All in all The Brokedown play it straight with fist-pumping Midwestern beer drinking anthems. Cop it. [Sousa]
www.cassettedeckmedia.com
:: ISSUE 19 ::
Bust!/The Budgets
Destory Modern Rock... (Split 7”) Bust! play pop punk with distorted, snotty vocals. This may sound like a very generic band, but both of their songs here showcase a band with a few more tricks than other bands pushing the same triteness on everybody. “Out West” runs a pretty simple versechorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus, but the music is interesting and catchy (including the backing vocals from interim drummer Johnny Miller). Their other cut, “End It On a Good Note,” is a 90-second ball of fury about missed opportunities. I’d like to hear Bust! stretch their sound out over a full length with some better production. The recording sounds a little primitive, but the songwriting still shines through. The Budgets are a little grittier. Billing themselves as “this guy and that guy,” the Budgets aren’t interested in recognizing individuals, or anyone for that matter (their thank you list includes those two guys that recorded us, that guy that wears that bear suit in the darkworld). Whatever. “City of Devils” has the band storming through some pretty basic rock chords and doing it right. It’s dirty rock and roll, but nothing fantastic. “Recycled Melody” is even less memorable. As with most singles—and, of course, their split partners Bust!—the Budgets ‘ sound may be better explored over the span of a full length. The deal with the singles, though, is to capture the listener’s attention and let a single song or a couple songs stand on their own.
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