It sounds good in theory – an album with a strong political and social message would go a long way these days, right? Well yes, it would, if done in a way that kept the listener interested – if they tune off the album shortly after they start listening, it hasn't really achieved its goal.

Enter Bill Madden and "Child of the Same God", on which Madden has clearly prioritised the message over the music. The result is an album which is difficult to take seriously, simply because it's difficult to keep listening. And if you don't take the album seriously, what are the chances you'll take the message it promotes seriously?

Believe it or not, this album goes for 49 minutes. Perhaps the longest 49 minutes of music you will ever listen to, but still, only 49 minutes. The album's biggest fault is how dull it is; the music is lifeless, Madden's vocals and boring and repetitive, and even his stark, challenging lyrics get boring when repeated in 14 different songs. On opener Unfair, Madden suggests you "listen to your heart and follow the road less travelled", but completely void of passion or commitment. Were one to listen to their heart at the end of this song, there response would probably involve finding something more interesting or entertaining (or both!) to listen to.

Madden's "formula" for much of the album consists of potentially great lyrics that ultimately fall through because of a mediocre at best vocal delivery. Sometimes they are combined with too much outside noise drowning out anything he has to say, like on Just Like Me. At other times, there isn't enough – Shine On and For So Long have us treated to the dubious pleasures of Madden's voice with minimal backing. What the Man Does and Bosko And Admira show some nice rhythm and a bit of variety, but still suffer from other issues that are prevalent on the album.

It's difficult to point to highlights from the album, because overall the album is relatively consistent. There are some songs that are worse, but only slightly worse, than the status quo. Not that the status quo is particular positive – the album may appeal to serious activists who share Madden's opinions and want to help spread his message, or to past fans, but to the masses "Child of the Same God" is a poorly performed and poorly produced album that's not worth the effort. Madden should focus on the entertainment value of his future work if he wants it to have the effect he clearly sought on this album.