Basically I picked up this CD because of the sticker on the front, a bad reason to buy anything. The sticker claimed that Flogging Molly’s album “Float” was thought by the Alternative Press to be perhaps one of the best albums of 2008, maybe one of the best of the decade. That’s heavy statement to make 2 years shy of the decade’s end. I had heard a couple F.M.’s songs before and, with 2 exceptions, I wasn’t really all that impressed. I thought they must have stepped up something fucking ferocious for this one to get this kind of praise.
I grew up in bars, doing my homework while my sister learned the step dancing. I have been hearing this music my whole life, I still can tell a jig from a reel. When I first heard the Pogues’ “Red Roses For Me” I knew for certain I was hearing something intense, something so completely on-point, the meld between Trad. and Punk, that it bordered on genius. It was, for me, an utterly perfect album by a perfect band. Equal parts melancholy, swagger and havoc. When Punk Rock Irish music is done well it will give you a nosebleed.
And if it’s not it won’t do anything to you at all. As I put the CD in I first took a minute to study the cover art. Check it out; it’s up there. The band are sitting around in an ancient ass pub, King (the lyricist and singer) sits at the table with his girl Bridget (the violinist) and the rest of the crew stand around in their suedehead gear. There are a bunch of pint glasses containing probably a certain stout. Also a farm dog and a cat and a horse. A fucking horse. All steady being up in the old pub having some drinks and straight being bored. The dog and the cat appear to be drinking faster than everyone else, the horse seems not to be thirsty.
That is pretty much the tone of the album. I guess the cover art is making a wry comment bout something, I don’t know what though. Dave King’s writing is good, sometimes fucking great, but not here though. I listened tight and anxious for something, anything that made that AP critic rate this bit so highly. We got talk about southpaw boxers, commentary on I guess Celtic Tiger greed, some observations on war and Irish cultural history and so on but nothing that gets the heart jumping, at least not mine. I’m not complaining about cliché, though that argument could be made, sometimes you deal in what you deal in and you feel how feel, perceived cliché or no. But dammit there was no roar in this. Ima go have a drink with a cat and a dog now and listen to “Red Roses For Me”.
Popularity: 8% [?]
You know what floats? turds.
I listened to this on my way into work today. I’ve had it for some time but never checked it out. So yeah album of the decade it is not. Red Roses For Me it is not. But it’s not half bad either. It could be one of those albums that made a top 10 list for the year it came out, but past that I dont think it has the chops to be known as a classic years down the road. Still, it’s not bad. I like the singers voice, and the band can definitely play. It is missing a certain punk intensity that the pogues always had. But I dont even think the band would argue with that.
That cat better not have my wallet!
I’ve been a diehard Flogging Molly fan for going on 9 years now, and I was truly excited when Float came out. After the greatness of Within a Mile of home, I couldnt wait. But Float doesn’t even compare. I agree with the above statements that the album as a whole feels rather boring, even if the songwriting is true to Flogging Molly’s Legendary ability to tell a tale. I give this album a 2 out of 5