SwaggerFlogging Molly |
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Boy I'll tell ya by the second song it makes me almost wish I was born an Irishman! A few more doses of this and soon I'll be doing a thrash and fit jig right off the top of my desk! A while back I reviewed this one disc by a guy named Erik Core whose big thing was doing acoustic thrash… and I swear by the time I got finished with it I never thought I'd hear anything even approach what I'd just heard-until now! Flogging Molly is… not easy to categorize. But for starters, try seven musicians, steeped in their Irish tradition, doing a cross between Celtic folk music, careening over and above a rampant full volume whiskey on the rocks, pint-lifting, punk guzzling thrash and rage-all within the fiery context of a fun night of carousing, cavorting and pledging adherence to fond memories of yesterday… a toast to Flogging Molly, I do believe they've defied any and all preconceptions with this one. For many, the feature attraction comes by way of singer Dave King, who apparently wanted no mention of past affiliation with 80's rockers Fastway so it's probably best to leave this little fact off to the side… oh, too late. But actually, all they accomplished together should be brought up, as they as a band, as well as Mr. King during their post-'80s run did some pretty fine work. The audience they're shooting for with "Swagger" here will in no way shape or form even have a clue about prior bands or affiliations-those that do won't even recognize him! Flogging Molly's due to hit this summer's Vans Warped Tour with a host of the latest punk rock and alternative acts and even considering all of the outlandish talent that'll be on display, it's more than a safe assumption none of them have heard close to this! With boisterous live performances and now "Swagger," FM's already building a solid fanbase; aided here by the rapid-fire production of one Steve Albini, this is an exhaustive innovation bred from melody and mayhem that'll see even your smoothest pint of Guinness bubble violently past the rim! Released by Side One Dummy Records Review By Vinnie Apicella |
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"Drunken Lullabies" Flogging Molly |
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The more things change… the more they really change! Anyone who'd ever known Dave King
and the work he did with the likes of Fastway and King, of the Irish heritage, assembled a band that's as unique an identity as anything you've ever heard. And it would appear the world is
taking notice. "Swagger" first made an impact a couple
years earlier and blended an improbable mix of Celtic Folk and fast paced
Punk Rock into Now in 2002 and on the heels of the great St. Patrick's Day, "Drunken Lullabies" bobs and weaves its way onto the scene, this time with an even greater urgency that sees them pump the volume just a little bit higher. Yes King's voice has held up well, his vocals in step with the power drinking efficiency his new band employs, quite unlike and really incomparable with "Easy Livin'" or "Say What You Will" though no less "Fired Up." With the same fist-clenching, foot-tapping,
pint lifting determination as before, "Drunken Lullabies"
is a from the heart storyteller spun with great speed and rising From the high flying rancor of the opening title track, to the passive resistance of "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" to the fast racing anthems "The Kilburn High Road," or bumpy ride of "Swagger," and "Cruel Mistress," there's a great variety on this emotional roller coaster that's comforting, chaotic and catchy.
Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] P.O. Box 20252
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