Tooth & Nail

I make no demands of Billy Bragg to return to the fiery protest songs of his youth, but he sounds so world-weary on this album, it’s kind of disheartening. Whether he’s waving off the very notion of progress (“No One Knows Nothing No More”) or confessing that he has nothing left to say (“Goodbye, Goodbye”), his lyrics and their delivery often sound utterly defeated. However, glimpses of his fighting spirit (“There Will Be a Reckoning”) and optimism (“Tomorrow’s Going to Be a Better Day”) still surface, he has as deft a hand as ever with a love song (“Your Name on My Tongue”), and even the least of these songs radiates beauty.