Pop stars with social consciences are very definitely out of fashion these days, which makes Billy Bragg even more of an anomaly than when he first started singing his songs of political protest back in the early 80s. The original Essex man's first album of original material in six years sees him with as crowded an agenda as ever, taking on such issues as patriotism, greed and the benefits of multiculturalism. Rather than looking for a new England, it seems that Bragg is now reasonably happy with the one he's got - but while slogans such as No Power Without Accountability make his views very clear, they don't make good songs in themselves. And though the Blokes provide the Bard of Barking with a solid pub-rock backing, he lets himself down too often with lyrics that are as clumsy as they are long-winded. Even so, Bragg deserves praise for his determination to keep pop music socially relevant - an anomaly he might be, but the pop scene would be a far less interesting place without him.