I’m going to admit right up front that I am a newcomer to the music of Flogging Molly. I mean, a very recent newcomer, as in, I just became aware of the band this past St. Patrick’s Day.
A bit of background: when you live in Boston, you hear a lot of Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day. Unfortunately, if Boston mainstream radio is any judge, U2 is just about the only Irish rock band ever, and their dominance of Boston radiowaves is only occasionally interrupted by the Dropkick Murphys’ version of the Boston Red Sox anthem, “Tessie.”
Not that I have anything against U2 or the Dropkick Murphys, I really like both of them quite a lot, it’s just that on St. Patrick’s Day, one can begin to get a little sensitized to their music when one is stuck listening to the radio.
Which is why, when I heard a tune that was obviously Irish music-influenced and yet by neither U2 nor the Dropkick Murphys, my ears perked right up.
Flogging Molly, for those unfamiliar with the group, is a Celtic punk band from Los Angeles that has been putting out great music since they released their first CD, Alive Behind the Green Door, in 1997.
Similar to the Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly counts The Pogues as one of their major influences. Yet Flogging Molly often leans toward a slightly more melodic sound through the use of more traditional Irish and country musical instruments such as fiddle, bodhran, tin whistles, and banjo. The resultant sound ranges from the bouncy but bittersweet “Requiem for a Dying Song” to the almost stark acoustic guitar and fiddle of the title track. This latter song in particular really sank its claws into me, as the mournful refrain of “Ah but don’t, don’t sink the boat, That you need, you built to keep afloat…” builds and quickens to a more celebratory refrain of a man acknowledging that surviving itself is a small victory: “It’s a ripe old age, It’s a ripe old age, It’s a ripe old age, That’s what I am.” Dave King’s slightly gravelly voice and Bridget Regan’s fiddle playing transform the simple words into a richly textured song that I found myself listening to over and over, seeking out the nuances.
Complex nuances and textures run through all of the lyrics of these songs, and many of the songs strike a bittersweet note, as in the track “No More Paddy’s Lament,” which seems to be a response to all those maudlin songs of exile and lost dreams:
Don’t look back For what’s dead now is safe The exiled, a home where the soul’s kept safe Take me back on the crest of a wave No more tears for your Paddy’s lament No more tears, no more Paddy’s lament.
If you are looking for some Irish music with an edge, some masterful playing, and a profusion of thoughtful lyrics, I recommend taking a few listens to Flogging Molly’s Float. You can listen to some of their music on their MySpace page. One final comment: longtime fans should note that three of the total 11 tracks on this CD, “Requiem for a Dying Song,” “Float,” and “Between a Man & a Woman,” were previously released as live tracks; the first two on an iTunes EP last year and the third on Alive Behind The Green Door.
(Side One Dummy, 2008)
