Flogging Molly is one of the few Celtic punk bands that have their own distinct style and grace. With the release of their new album- there is no exception to that rule.
Dave King (Vocals) is one of those few, rare, amazing songwriters that have a place in such a modern over-hyped MTV generation. Conceptually- the album is about pulling through life, old-irish influenced hymns and the downpour of depression that one experiences in their life, while still regaling personal tales of desperation.
As an album, it sounds unlike anything Flogging Molly- but the second you hear King's voice, you'll instantly notice it to be a Flogging Molly song... but compared to their previous work, it's impossible to compare. As far as it stands between the previous work, the album is MUCH more mellow in certain aspects opposed to songs like "Seven Deadly Sins", "Drunken Lullabies", and others that were featured on previous albums. Don't let that deter you from the fact that the album is still pretty damn aggressive.
While tracks like "Punch Drunk Drinking Soul" stick out, other tracks seem to fall between them as sound-fillers and time consumers. As any Flogging Molly record- it's VERY catchy, infectious and it's always an instant wakeup. Certain songs like "Between a man and a woman" make you think about your place, and how culture and we're viewed today.
All in all it's a VERY good album, but the obvious sound-fillers and time-consumers often get in the way of making this a great album. If they shortened it to a 8 track album and put it out like that, I'd have no second thoughts in calling it amazing.
Final Score: 6 Giraffes out of 10
