In their valiant return from 2004’s warmly received Within a Mile of Home, Celtic punk rockers Flogging Molly come roaring back onto the scene with the hard-edged Float. The record has been dangling out of reach of many hardcore fans ever since the group performed for iTunes on “Complete Control Sessions” in March 2007. The group released a previously unreleased song on the compilation that confirmed the fan’s hope for new material. Needless to say, from the moment I opened the advance copy WSOE received just the other day to the moment I am writing this review, I have been FLOORED by this album. For all you hungry “Mollyheads” out there, March 4th may be a long time to wait just to wrap your hands around the new FM album, but rest assured, the wait will be worth it.
It kicks off to a great start with one of the premier tracks of the record, “Requiem for a Dying Song”, a heavy sing-along with a near poppy-rhythm that makes your head bounce more than bob. Twanging banjoes, melodic accordion, and heavy snare drum work are all familiar territory for Dave King and the gang. Immediately after the fade-out, a startling punk rock strum bursts out of the speakers, diving straight into my favorite track, “Paddy’s Lament”. “Don’t look back/for what’s dead now” is the first line of the chorus and pretty much sets the mood for the rest of the song, from the classical-style lead into the chorus to the searing guitar solo. The title track shows Dave King in a more sentimental while still keeping in the group’s rustic aesthetic. “Float” ought to be the best drinking song for optimists out of the year. The middle of the album has a short redundant lull with three songs that sound a bit forced as filler. The saving grace for the median tracks is “Lightning Storm”, a pump-up track that’ll make you feel stronger than a Spartan. However, the final four tracks of the far-too-short album bookend it with jackboot to the listener’s face. Tracks like “Between A Man and A Woman”, “On the Back of a Broken Dream”, and “Man With No Country” keep up with the frantic pace of most of the other tracks. Finally, the closer “The Story So Far” is enough to make you believe you’ve experienced all 46 years of Dave King’s life and lived to tell about it. The title of the track can make fans breathe a deep sigh of relief, as it is quite obvious they aren’t done yet.
LISTEN TO MUSIC ANALYSIS TONIGHT AT 10:30 PM ON WSOE TO HEAR THE PREMIERE OF A TRACK OFF OF "FLOAT"!
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