Outburn: Irish Folk Punk
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IRISH FOLK PUNK: Has it really been four years since the last official Flogging Molly album? Sure, they put out a stopgap release in the meantime, but that sort of wait builds unfair anticipation. The Irish folk punkers returned to the home country (well, home to the members that aren’t from Los Angeles) to record album number four, which, as cliché as it sounds, happens to be their most mature offering yet. This may be because bandleader Dave King is pushing 50. King’s bile hasn’t decreased any, though, considering that the very first line is, “There’s a government whip cracked across your back.” Nonetheless, Float is more mellow than their last full-length, Within a Mile of Home, exchanging that album’s raucous barnstormers and pirate songs for introspective character tales. It makes sense, considering that half of the aforementioned stopgap release, Whiskey on a Sunday, was acoustic. That mentality seems to have carried over to melancholy songs like the title track and “Us of Lesser Gods.” Even the faster tracks on Float like “Requiem for a Dying Song” and “Man with No Country” have a decidedly unplugged feel, almost as if they’re a reaction to the bombast of Within a Mile of Home. The songs may not be quite as memorable as the electrified tunes on Flogging Molly’s previous efforts, but Float is a fine release overall.
