Irish punk band stays aFloat

Irish-American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly was formed by lead singer Dave King. He was formerly the lead singer for ’80s metal band Fastway. The Dublin, Ireland-born singer formed the band in Los Angeles in 1997, and Flogging Molly’s first studio album was released in 2000.

Float, the seven-piece band’s fourth album, begins with a manic and memorable tune “Requiem For A Dying Song.” This anthemic piece sounds like it should be played in a crowded pub. While this song is basically a pop-punk tune, it is dominated by the sound of the violin and the accordion in the background. This formula is a common theme on Float.

For example, the title track begins like a classic-sounding Irish folk ballad, with only King’s vocals, and an acoustic guitar and accordion playing in the background. The song is then lifted when the full band comes in, with the violin taking the melody from King in folk fashion, but informed by rocking instruments.

“Us Of Lesser Gods” is another example of Flogging Molly’s catchy anthems in the chorus. The song is similar to the title track in the way it sounds more like an Irish folk classic than a modern rock tune, only the piece is livelier, and set at a faster pace. Both of these songs will likely have many fans singing along to these powerful ballads.

The concluding track on Float, the laid-back “The Story So Far,” ends the album on a nice mellow note. Most memorable in this song is the softly played violin, and the leaping, disjunct melody.

Without a doubt, the band’s Irish influence is evident throughout Float. Many of the songs on the album sound like they could be played at an Irish music festival. While the sounds of Float are chock-full of the Celtic sounds of violin, accordion and mandolin, so at times are the heavy sounds of punk rock on guitar.

The majority of the 11 songs on the album are fast-paced, with a few slower ones evenly spaced throughout to give some pause to the racing stompers.

While this is a solid album that displays Flogging Molly’s Irish blend of punk rock and Celtic folk, at times the songs seem a bit repetitive. Despite that, Float still rises to the occasion.