|
Flogging Molly have always been one of the most energetic bands on the scene with their often traditional Celtic gallop and their keen punk rock sensibilities but it’s the craft of songwriting that has always truly set them apart from the rest of modern music. Their latest effort “Float” is solid evidence of that and is likely their most well crafted album overall.
Opening with the album’s weakest moment, the bouncing “Requiem For a Dying Song,” I wasn’t sure what to think here initially. Thankfully “(No More) Paddy’s Lament” and the striking lyrics of the title track recover them album in a powerful way. After they finish you find yourself thinking things like “that was amazing” and “how could they top that duo?” The answer is simple. They can’t. At least not on this go around. The rollicking “You Won’t Make a Fool Out of Me” and “Between a Man and a Woman” are good times but fail to really capture the spirit that makes this band great. The swaying “Man With No Country” and “Punch Drunk Grinning Soul” fare slightly better but still just can’t manage to hold your attention in the same way many of the band’s previous albums have.
It’s likely that this album isn’t as mediocre as it feels like. The aforementioned centerpiece songs are worth the price of the album all by themselves and perhaps that makes the rest of the album feel less inspired than it may have. Is it possible to do something so great that it makes listeners lose interest in everything else? If so, that’s certainly happened on “Float.”
Bottom Line: Two exceptional moments and a whole bunch of “good” that leans towards forgettable. The worth of Flogging Molly’s latest is simply determined by what you hope to get for your money.
Key Tracks: "(No More) Paddy's Lament" and "Float"
Reviewed by: Mark Fisher
<<Back To Reviews
|
|
|
