The album kicks off with “Sunset
Paddy’s,” beginning with a steady rock beat (and hand claps). This is a fairly
straight and fun rock song, and I imagine it’s a good one to see them perform
in concert, driven as it is by that steady beat, and with the echoes of “Sunset, sunset.” I like the song, but I’m
much more taken with the following track, “Go On Home Boys.” This one also
starts off with a beat, but the groove is a bit more fun and catchy. That doesn’t
mean it lacks a rock edge, as its brief instrumental section features some
great work on guitar that should satisfy the rock fan in you.
Things get even more
interesting with “Not Bothered,” which surprisingly has a bit of a reggae thing
going on at moments, and also some nice work on fiddle during the instrumental
section. This is a really good tune, with an uplifting vibe. Here is a taste of
the lyrics: “The birds, they rise in the
morning/To start a new day/Their silence has broken/In a world far away/Oh, I’m
not bothered or worried at all/As long as I’m breathing/I’ll always be home.”
“One And All,” the CD’s title
track, is another strong tune, which also features fiddle. It begins with
acoustic guitar, then comes bursting in with a glorious force that should get
your body moving. And then later there is a section that is just drums and
vocals: “Move your feet to the beat of
the drum/Dance to the rhythm of love/Scream and shout/Open your mouth/Let your voice
be heard.”
And of course, as this is an
Irish band, there has to be at least one earnest drinking song. On this release
it is “Drinks Are On Me,” which is one of my favorite tracks. It’s just so much
bloody fun, and I fucking love the vocal line, the way it races along
(reminding me a bit of “The Rocky Road To Dublin”). And then in the chorus they
sing, “Come on, the drinks are on me/One
for you and ten for me.” And interestingly, this is a drinking song that
acknowledges the troubles associated with the fun: “Now my aching liver’s given up/I’ve had too much of the damned stuff.”
But then of course they add, “But before
I say goodbye/Pour me a drink and raise it high/Through the good times and the
bad/Drink a pint and don’t be sad.” Amen.
This is a CD that just gets
better and better, and as much as I love “Drinks Are On Me,” it’s the final
track, “Sick To Death,” that is my absolute favorite. This is one to get you
dancing and drinking with total abandon. I love the attitude of this tune. Here
is a taste of the lyrics: “I’m sick to
death of everyone I’ve met/Every drink I’ve ever downed/It’s time for me to go,
so leave me alone/It’s time for me to leave this fucking town.” And this line makes me laugh every time: “Never been to bed with an ugly woman, but I woke up with quite a few.” And of
course I dig the fiddle. This is a song I’m going to be listening to a lot.
CD Track List
- Sunset Paddy’s
- Go On Home Boys
- Not Bothered
- One And All
- Drinks Are On Me
- Sick To Death
One And All is scheduled to be released on February 24, 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment