2008 Woodie Awards
Flogging Molly staying afloat
Julie Engler
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Flogging Molly
'Float'
Release date: March 4, 2008
Record label: Side One Dummy Records
www.floggingmolly.com
3 out of 5 stars
Irish rockers Flogging Molly don't tread much new ground on its latest release "Float." Similar to previous releases, the band is still energetic, pop punk and Irish.
Eleven songs comprise Flogging Molly's fourth studio album, each with the zeal and bluntness of modern pop punk while blending in the subtleties and beauty of traditional Irish instruments, such as the bodhrán and Uilleann pipes. Alongside those is a whole bunch of other fun stuff, such as banjos, mandolins and a few different versions of the guitar.
Flogging Molly is no doubt unique and multi-layered. But with just a small step up in instrumentation and sound, "Float" doesn't really convey much growth and progression in the band. Some fans who love the band just the way it is won't complain, while others might realize that with seven members and a whole slew of instruments, things could really get interesting.
Still, that may be the beauty of Flogging Molly, seeing as it doesn't want to be a progressive, cutting-edge band; the members just want to play music, have fun and stay true to their roots. In that sense, "Float" is perfection.
Several songs sound like traditional folk dancing songs on speed, such as the opening song "Requiem For A Dying Song" and "On The Back Of A Broken Dream," which tells the tale of love and getting older. Musically the album is upbeat and inspiring, with the pump of the drums and guitar diverging from the melodic, slower flutes and strings.
"Punch Drunk Grinning Soul" plays with the drumbeat, hitting the snare a little late, just enough to throw off listeners and sound interesting and different. With an obsessively quick, acoustic intro, the song is dark enough to feel like a hangover but with the punch of pure, punk energy at the end with a violin serenade.
Slower songs - the only three being the title track, "Us Of Lesser Gods" and "The Story So Far" - show a softer, but not vulnerable, side of Flogging Molly. None of these songs are tear-jerkers, yet the strength of Flogging Molly's lyrics shine through.
The empowering, well-written lyrics are thought provoking and full of wisdom. "It's bitter the pill that you swallow to feel. I don't care what I lost, I just thank God I'm alive," sings Dave King in "The Story So Far," a song about making it through life staying true to yourself, no matter how hard it might be.
"Float" offers advice for those who turn their backs on all they've got left in life. Other songs, such as "You Won't Make A Fool Out Of Me," are more direct anthems to sing to those who bring you down. The band's message is overtly positive and addicting, perfect to shout or just keep inside.
"Float" is fun and a must-have for Flogging Molly fans, but those looking for something new from the band won't find what they're looking for.
With the album being released so close to St. Patty's Day, picking it up is a better way to celebrate Irish heritage than those cardboard leprechaun hats. Oh, and it goes well with beer, too.
Julie Engler can be reached at
536-3311 ext. 275 or julie86@siu.edu.
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