FLOGGING MOLLY
Swagger (Side One Dummy)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Oh, this is the stuff! It's Celtic passion, flavor and madness with all kinds of spices, some of it folky, some of it beer-drenched pub-punk, and none of it the least bit forgettable. They sing of many of life's more compelling conditions, from the thunderbolts of love to surviving tenements, delivering every image and emotion with a combination of rock and traditional Irish instrumentation. They've found a perfect middle ground somewhere between The Pogues and Black 47, which ain't a bad place to be. When you put this disc in the player, promise me you'll turn out the lights and absorb the lyrics as well as the music. You wouldn't want to miss imagery like "her breath began to speak - as she stood right in front of me - the colour of her eyes - were the colour of insanity - Crushed beneath her wave - like a ship, I could not reach the shore - We're all just dancers on the Devil's dance floor." Flogging Molly is something special for anyone with a drop of Irish blood flowing in their veins, real or imagined.

© 2000 - DJ Johnson