Life's only Life with you in this song...
Flogging Molly has long been one of my favorite bands. I truly believe that they are the best live band you will ever see. From the very first moment I heard the band I knew they were going to be an important part of my life. I was browsing through Tower Records and they were playing on the overhead speakers. I could not focus on anything except for the music playing. I worked up the nerve to ask the person at the counter who we were listening to (which took considerable courage, because who wants to admit that they don't know a band to a record store employee?) she handed me the CD and I would never be the same. I have seen them live in concert more times than I can count, from the side stage at Warped Tour to the Electric Factory to the Festival Pier in Philly w/ Dropkick Murphys where it seemed like there was a million people in the audience-they never disappoint. I always make it a point to go up and tell them it was a great show, and they are always kind enough to talk to us. At our wedding the "garter-taking off" song was Devil's Dance Floor so at the first show after the wedding we brought a picture of me removing Heather's garter and they signed it. How freakin cool is that? They have a genuine passion for their music and, just as important, a genuine friendship exists between every member of the band. They write what they know, what they've done and where they've been.
So with their new album out now I present myself with the following questions:
1. Is this their best release to date?
I don't think so, but it is really really good.
2. Is the sticker on the front of the disc quoting AP to be believed "...the most important album of the decade..."?
No, but this is absolutely the most important album that Flogging Molly has released. Important to the fans, but more importantly: important to the band.
The first track, "Requiem for a Dying Song" was heard almost a year prior to this release on the Complete Control Sessions live thing. I didn't really care much for it at the time but now I think this is a great way to open the record. They really set a tone for things to come. A slightly poppier, less distorted sound but Dave King's lyrics have not lost their bite. If anything he has sharpened his wit and it shines through on the opening track which is a not so subtle attack on the Iraq War. "(No More) Paddy's Lament" brings you right back to the Swagger days. From its thunderous opening measures to the pounding chorus these seven drunken pirates prove that they are not going to become stagnant. This track contains some of the best lyrics on the record. Also for your enjoyment is a signature Dennis Casey solo leading into an awesome breakdown. "Float" (also on the Complete Control Sessions) is a fantastic track. For 75% of the song it is mostly a slow, quiet introspective piece. Nathan Maxwell's bass really ties this song together providing a bridge from the 1st part to the grand finale. About 2 minutes in Mr. Casey starts plugging away and you know that things are about to get pretty bad ass. After another verse/chorus the whole band kicks in and round it out with a great 'outro' "A ripe old age, that's what I am, A ripe old age, just doin' the best I can." Next up is "You Won't Make a Fool Out Of Me" and this is the point where even the most casual of observers can realize that the anger is still alive and kicking in these seven road warriors. Although, this is also the point that you start to realize that this is a little different. The band has matured. Not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. I hear the chorus of this song and I can picture Dave King taunting the audience to sing along.
"The Lightning Storm" closes out the first half of the record and man oh man is it good. Another classic track. It has everything that makes these guys great, including a nearly hardcore breakdown late in the game. Awesome. With lyrics again condemning a war, and all musical cylinders firing this is bound to be a fan favorite in the years to come.
"Punch Drunk Grinning Soul" is another one that makes you sit up and pay attention. These guys really went for it this time. The structure of this song is truly something to behold. A tense and driving verse leading into a uplifting chorus. After the last chorus of sing along "Hey Now, Stay Proud" things kind of get out of control and you can just tell that the band is having a blast doing what they are doing. At the end of this track is some weird spoken word thing which is actually quite good, but a little out of place.
"Us of Lesser Gods" is a sweeping upbeat song at first glance, but upon closer inspection it is a call for religious tolerance. How unexpected.
"Between a Man and a Woman" is awesome. I'd like to think that this about Dave King and Bridget Regan. I have no major evidence supporting this, just a few pieces of circumstantial. But this song has a sweet, heartfelt vibe which really lightens the mood from all of the political tracks. Only a momentary reprieve though as we plunge right into "From the Back of a Broken Dream." I think that this is a song about a soldier writing home. But I could be reading too much into it. Either way, a good tune.
Look out though because here comes "Man With No Country" this song begins with a punch in the face and does not stop until the last syllable fades out. A true highlight on this album and within the whole of Flogging Molly's catalog. I might even be brazen enough to call this the perfect rock and roll song. It certainly includes one of Dave's best choruses to date "For once in this life, I better do something right. Don't bury the voice that's not yet spoken. I'll challenge the flames till this man with no country remains." Take it Mr. Casey...we sing another chorus and the song explodes into a classic.
As is traditional with the band, the record closes with a slower tune. This one, "The Story So Far" is not quite up to par with "Far Away Boys", "The Son Never Shines" or "Don't Let me Die Still Wondering" but I tell you what, it is a perfect fit for this record. Both musically and thematically. It will have you singing along with the end chorus for days to come.
So, what makes this record so important to the band? They seem to have realized that they cannot record the same album every time around. I would listen to the same Flogging Molly record for the rest of my life, but the band is not going to be complacent. They are doing what every great band does: expanding. They are keeping their true core sound but slowing down a bit here, and mellowing out a bit there...maybe losing a little distortion in this direction. This will be a record that will help Flogging Molly to last forever. They remain a personal and worldly band who writes fantastic records. I think they wrote this one for themselves and if you don't like it then you just don't get it. A reading from the book of Dave King: "Sick and tired of what to say. No one listens anyway. Sing, that's all you can"
