Float
Summary:
Founded in Los Angeles in 1997 by the Irish expatriate Dave King, Flogging Molly got its start (and its name) from a local Hollywood bar called Molly Malone's, where each week the band performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for its eventual success. As every member of Flogging Molly will emphatically explain, there were no predetermined expectations for the band's sound. From week to week, as the crowds and the set list grew, the sound simply evolved organically. Traditional Celtic instruments like violin, mandolin and accordion blended seamlessly with grinding guitars and pounding drums. Without consciously attempting it, Flogging Molly merged the music of King's childhood in Dublin with the music of his adulthood in L.A.
Flogging Molly's 2008 album, Float, recorded in King's native Ireland, delivered still another iteration of the band's sonic evolution. More mature, yet retaining the immediacy that marks all of their work, Float has found the widest audience acceptance yet of any Flogging Molly album. Hard charging tunes "Paddy's Lament" and "You Won't Make a Fool Out of Me" give way, as listeners have come to expect, to more sober ruminations on tracks like "Float." The overall effect is a symphonic layering of sound that possesses a unique rhythmic flow from boisterous to bereaved and back again.
-Excerpt from www.floggingmolly.com
Staff Review:
The music of Flogging Molly is at times beautiful, and at others pulse-pounding and ruckus-inspiring. Yet this seven member crew has captivated fans (including myself) by combining their obvious instrumental skill with their phenomenal song writing abilities.
-- by Emily H.