Here Come the Young

A veteran singer-songwriter and activist, Joseph has purveyed social and protest songs since his first studio release in 1983. The world's changed a lot since then, but it surely hasn't turned out the direction a social activist would have hoped, and his latest album, produced by Gerry Diver – who also contributes some excellent electric guitar – looks to the young in its title-song for a revolution in how to live. As such, the key note is hope rather than anger, though songs like ‘Oh My Soul’ touch on the despair attendant to the rolling waves of dystopian breaking news.

The opening title-track places its ebullience and optimism in the young, while further in, a song about driving with your grown-up kid and streaming favourite tracks across the generations will strike a warm note for parents whose youth was played out on older, outmoded technology. Joseph is in great voice, his lyrics written with a sharp pen – this is an album comparable to the best of Chris Wood's recent work. There's also a selection of fine musicians supporting him, including ex-Bellowhead drummer Pete Flood.

It's easy to despair. For Martyn Joseph, it's too easy. These are songs about getting involved.