Legendary British songwriter Billy Bragg will release his new album Mr. Love & Justice April 22 on Anti- Records. And while his fans may have grown a little impatient over the last six years since the release of Bragg’s last album England, Half-English, they’ll have to forgive him when they hear the schedule he’s been keeping.
After collaborating with Wilco in 1998 and releasing an album of unpublished Woody Guthrie songs in 2000, Bragg was commissioned to write new lyrics for Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The new lyrics were unveiled during a 2007 performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall attended by the Queen herself. Q magazine honored Bragg with its Classic Songwriter Award later that year.
Bragg also celebrated several significant milestones outside of the music world over the past few years. His book The Progressive Patriot was published by Bantam in 2006, and he founded the Jail Guitar Doors, a charity that supplies free guitars to prison inmates, soon after.
Mr. Love & Justice will feature 12 new songs penned by Bragg, backed by his band The Blokes. The Small Faces’ Ian McLagan plays organ and piano, and Robert Wyatt contributes vocals on the album’s first single “I Keep Faith.”
Bragg will be performing several songs from the upcoming album during an Anti- Records showcase March 13 and another showcase at Smokin' Room on March 14 during the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas.
The album’s tracklist is below.
Mr. Love & Justice tracklist:
1. I Keep Faith
2. I Almost Killed You
3. M For Me
4. The Beach Is Free
5. Sing Their Souls Back Home
6. You Make Me Brave
7. Something Happened
8. Mr. Love & Justice
9. If You Ever Leave
10. O Freedom
11. The Johnny Carcinogenic Show
12. Farm Boy
Related links:
BillyBragg.co.uk
Billy Bragg on MySpace
Paste: Billy Bragg Wins Award, Chums Queen, Plans Record
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