2008 Woodie Awards
Flogging Molly album just in time for St. Patrick's
Lauren Boyle '11
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: Entertainment
Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day, Celtic-rock powerhouse Flogging Molly released their latest album, "Float," on March 4. The album, already well received by critics, has been proclaimed as the band's most diverse and mature effort thus far.
Blending traditional Irish instruments such as the violin, mandolin, whistle, and accordion with guitar, bass, and drums, Flogging Molly produces a sound that is neither quintessential punk rock nor pure Irish folk. Their music stands as a successful, indefinable hybrid of the traditional and contemporary-a genre which, though largely shunned by mainstream music, attracts quite the loyal fan base.
Fans of Flogging Molly's previous studio albums, "Swagger" (2000), "Drunken Lullabies" (2002), and "Within a Mile of Home" (2004) will not be disappointed by "Float." "From the Back of a Broken Dream" and "Paddy's Lament" are in Flogging Molly's signature style, with backbreaking paces and relatively simple melodies.
True to their socially vocal past, the Los Angeles based band also included a very political track, "Requiem for a Dying Song," which attacks the United States's participation in the Iraq war. It is in this requiem (which is ironically the first track on the album) that Flogging Molly's true lyrical talent is effortlessly meshed with musical ability; the liveliness of the song masks a deeply important and disturbing social message. This track stands out as the definitive piece of the album, rather than the typical drinking songs that made Flogging Molly famous.
To their credit, even after 11 years in the business, the band cannot be considered wholly predictable. Much of the album is considerably darker than their past endeavors. The album's acoustic title track, "Float," exposes a more bitter, somber side of their storytelling abilities not especially prominent on the previous albums. The final song, "The Story So Far," is probably as close to a ballad as Flogging Molly will ever come and features far more reserved lead vocals by Dublin-born Dave King. King's gritty vocals, though they have not changed much over the years, are as essential to the music of Flogging Molly as the traditional Irish folk instruments. Though "Float" resembles tracks from past albums in structure and other musical elements, its sound reflects the growing maturity of the group.
The album is a general crowd-pleaser, catering to the tastes of current Flogging Molly fans while exploring deeper sides to storytelling. Though the group is inherently a bar-band and is best heard live, "Float" certainly proves an acceptable substitute. Flogging Molly has done it again-the successful hybrid of two unlikely genres lives on.
Blending traditional Irish instruments such as the violin, mandolin, whistle, and accordion with guitar, bass, and drums, Flogging Molly produces a sound that is neither quintessential punk rock nor pure Irish folk. Their music stands as a successful, indefinable hybrid of the traditional and contemporary-a genre which, though largely shunned by mainstream music, attracts quite the loyal fan base.
Fans of Flogging Molly's previous studio albums, "Swagger" (2000), "Drunken Lullabies" (2002), and "Within a Mile of Home" (2004) will not be disappointed by "Float." "From the Back of a Broken Dream" and "Paddy's Lament" are in Flogging Molly's signature style, with backbreaking paces and relatively simple melodies.
True to their socially vocal past, the Los Angeles based band also included a very political track, "Requiem for a Dying Song," which attacks the United States's participation in the Iraq war. It is in this requiem (which is ironically the first track on the album) that Flogging Molly's true lyrical talent is effortlessly meshed with musical ability; the liveliness of the song masks a deeply important and disturbing social message. This track stands out as the definitive piece of the album, rather than the typical drinking songs that made Flogging Molly famous.
To their credit, even after 11 years in the business, the band cannot be considered wholly predictable. Much of the album is considerably darker than their past endeavors. The album's acoustic title track, "Float," exposes a more bitter, somber side of their storytelling abilities not especially prominent on the previous albums. The final song, "The Story So Far," is probably as close to a ballad as Flogging Molly will ever come and features far more reserved lead vocals by Dublin-born Dave King. King's gritty vocals, though they have not changed much over the years, are as essential to the music of Flogging Molly as the traditional Irish folk instruments. Though "Float" resembles tracks from past albums in structure and other musical elements, its sound reflects the growing maturity of the group.
The album is a general crowd-pleaser, catering to the tastes of current Flogging Molly fans while exploring deeper sides to storytelling. Though the group is inherently a bar-band and is best heard live, "Float" certainly proves an acceptable substitute. Flogging Molly has done it again-the successful hybrid of two unlikely genres lives on.
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