Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day comes this rather nifty EP from Los Angeles’ most rowdy sons, Flogging Molly. Formed in 1995 by Dublin-born ex-pat Dave King, Flogging Molly have blazed a trail around the world whilst releasing a handful of critically-acclaimed albums and fistful of incendiary singles. Their second EP, ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored, gets a release via Rise Records and is sure to make the soundtrack to many a wild evening.
It seems like only yesterday that Flogging Molly released their sixth album Anthem (reviewed here), and although it dropped six months ago, it still sounds fresh and vibrant, but if you are on a roll you might as well keep rolling and that’s exactly what ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored does. This Irish-American Celtic punk bad are perhaps best known for their rowdy rockers, so the quiet storm that is opening track ‘’Til The Anarchy’s Restored’ rather took me by surprise. You’d expect Flogging Molly to arrive with fists and fiddles flying, and all banjos blazing. Therefore the acoustic guitar that heralds its arrival is fairly arresting. By doing what’s least expected, Flogging Molly grab our attention and hold us in a tight grip for four minutes, and rather than battering down the wall to our memory bank ‘‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored’ sneaks a crafty one through the back door.
For their last album Anthem, Flogging Molly reunited with famed producer Steve Albini and it’s an association they’ve carried over onto this EP. The final two tracks on this release were recorded at Steve’s Electrical Audio studios, and ‘Drunken Lullabies’ finds Molly on more familiar territory and ripping things up in fine style. The title (and lead) track from their 2002 album, ‘Drunken Lullabies’ is powered by the kind of fire for which they’re well-known and will have even the most morose up and jigging (or at least those with a pulse). It’s another track from Drunken Lullabies that closes this release, full of vivid imagery, ‘What’s Left Of The Flag’, has the type of lyrics that could only come from a Dave King and if you close your eyes you can almost see a raucous gig with pint glasses held aloft, along with hundreds of smiling faces.
Although this is a fairly brief listen, ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored perfectly encapsulates both sides of the Flogging Molly coin, and you should make it the soundtrack to your celebrations this St. Patrick’s Day.
- ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored is released via Rise Records on 10th March 2023.
- Official Website
Track List:
- ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored
- Drunken Lullabies
- What’s Left Of The Flag
