Bridges Not Walls

{{short description|2017 EP by Billy Bragg}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Bridges Not Walls

| type = EP

| artist = Billy Bragg

| cover = Bridges_Not_Walls_album_sleeve.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2017|11|03}} (United Kingdom)
{{Start date|2017|11|03}} (United States)

| recorded = May; August 2017

| venue =

| studio = Street-Level Studios III, London

| genre = Country folk, Americana, alternative rock, music hall

| length = {{Duration|m=22|s=47}}

| label = Cooking Vinyl

| producer = Grant Showbiz; Tom Pritchard (mix engineer)

| prev_title = Shine a Light

| prev_year = 2013

| next_title = The Million Things That Never Happened

| next_year = 2021

}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 71/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/bridges-not-walls-ep/billy-bragg|title=Bridges Not Walls – Billy Bragg|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=July 27, 2017}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite news|title=Billy Bragg: Bridges Not Walls — review|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bridges-not-walls-mw0003114689|website=Allmusic|publisher=Allmusic Group|last=Deming|first=Mark|date=November 3, 2017}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite news|title=Billy Bragg: Bridges Not Walls — review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/05/billy-bragg-bridges-not-walls-review-brexit-attacks|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Mongredien|first=Phil|date=November 5, 2017}}

| rev4 = Clash magazine

| rev4Score = {{rating|7|10}}{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/billy-bragg-bridges-not-walls|title=Billy Bragg – Bridges Not Walls|publisher=Music Republic|last=Marcham|first=Rory|date=November 10, 2017|accessdate=July 27, 2018}}

| rev5 = Record Collector

| rev5Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/bridges-walls|title=Billy Bragg – Bridges Not Walls|publisher=Record Collector|last=Staunton|first=Terry|date=November 10, 2017|accessdate=July 27, 2018}}

|noprose=yes

}}

Bridges Not Walls is an extended play by singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, compiling six songs released as downloads as a physical CD in 2017.{{cite news|title=Billy Bragg releases Bridges Not Walls|url=http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/cd-billy-bragg-joe-henry-shine-light|website=Billy Bragg|publisher=billybragg.co.uk|date=November 3, 2017}} It was released as a Mini-LP on November 3, 2017, and includes the new song "Full English Brexit". It was described in Record Collector as "a solid gold illustration of an always inspiring singer-songwriter finding inspiration in the actions of others.{{cite web|title=Billy Bragg - Bridges Not Walls|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/bridges-walls|website=Record Collector|publisher=Record Collector|date=November 3, 2017}}"

Track listing

All tracks composed by Billy Bragg, with the exception of track 3 which was written by Anaïs Mitchell and appeared on her album Hadestown.

{{Track listing

| title1 = The Sleep of Reason

| length1 = 4:32

| title2 = King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood

| length2 = 2:58

| title3 = Why We Build the Wall

| length3 = 3:29

| title4 = Saffiyah Smiles

| length4 = 3:32

| title5 = Not Everything That Counts Can be Counted

| length5 = 4:13

| title6 = Full English Brexit

| length6 = 4:03

| total_length = 22:47

}}

Personnel

  • Billy Bragg — vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass
  • CJ Hillman — electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Simon Edwards — double bass, backing vocals
  • Jacob Stoney — piano, organ, Mellotron, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Fred Claridge — drums, backing vocals, cajon
  • Judith Goodman — Mellotron
  • May Fitzpatrick — backing vocals
  • Dave Ross — drums

References