Flogging Molly Album Review: Float

Irish American Celtic Punks' Follow Up to Within A Mile Of Home

Feb 23, 2008

Playing a combination of punk rock and traditional Irish folk music, LA-based Flogging Molly return with their new album Float and a more measured sound.

It's been four years since Flogging Molly's last full studio album, the ambitiously diverse and sprawling Within A Mile Of Home, was released. In that time they've put out the Whiskey On A Sunday compilation and the download-only Complete Control Sessions live EP. They continued to tour, hitting the road with all the energy and enthusiasm for which they're renowned but, judging by the songs on Float, they've also spent a lot of the intervening time rethinking, refining and relentlessly polishing their sound.

A Celtic Folk Punk Hybrid

Where their spiritual forebears The Pogues basically played Irish folk music with a punk rock attitude and delivery, Flogging Molly - fronted by Dubliner and former Fastway vocalist Dave King - were more of a musical hybrid. They weren't as full-on as folk punk contemporaries like Swingin' Utters or The Dropkick Murphys perhaps, but cranked up electric guitars played as big a part as the traditional instrumentation on their first two albums, Swagger and Drunken Lullabies. On their fourth-full length however, the more raucous elements appear to have been largely reigned in.

That's not to say they've been stamped out entirely. As anyone whose ever been to one of their shows could testify, Flogging Molly are all about energy and good times live and there are definitely songs on here – 'You Won't Make A Fool Out Of Me' and the relatively rampant '(No More) Paddy's Lament' – that will no doubt translate to beers-aloft singalong anthems in the clubs and concert halls. There's nothing as kinetic or uncontrolled as fan favourites 'Selfish Man' or 'Rebels Of The Sacred Heart' however and most of the tracks strike a carefully formulated balance between radio-friendly rock and the trad folk sounds supplied by multi-instrumentalist Bridget Regan and co. without ever really venturing to an extreme.

Movie Soundtracks and Mainstream Success

This somewhat more measured approach may serve to earn the LA-based septet a dose of more mainstream success. They've had songs included on a number of soundtracks, from movies P.S. I Love You and the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie blockbuster Mr & Mrs Smith to TV shows The Shield, Weeds, One Tree Hill and Bones. What they haven't had is much in the way of radio and MTV support, relying instead on dogged touring and word of mouth to win them a fanatical core support.

Float is hardly enough of a departure to alienate that existing fanbase but nor is it likely to be as fervently embraced as its predecessors. Flogging Molly appear to have matured like a fine Irish whiskey but sometimes the raw fiery taste of a shot of poitin hits the spot more.

Float is released on March 4 (US) and April 14 (Europe) through SideOneDummy Records.

The copyright of the article Flogging Molly Album Review: Float in Punk/Ska Music is owned by Paul Travers. Permission to republish Flogging Molly Album Review: Float in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.