Review Summary: With “Anthem”, Flogging Molly have imperfectly captured their former brilliance
I enjoyed a Guinness the other night, savoring its creamy texture and mild flavor while feeling like a sentimental old bastard. To be clear I don’t drink much and hadn’t had a stout in years, but it’s not every day Flogging Molly drop an album – barely once every five years these days to be exact – and even less often I find myself as moved as I once was by their music. That moment has arrived... sort of. Despite the initial sense that it’s “just another Flogging Molly album”,
Anthem’s best moments revive the spirit that made their first several albums Warped Tour staples.
For a man officially in his 60s, lead vocalist Dave King sounds more confident and inspired than he has in over a decade; what a stubborn lad. His delivery on “A Song Of Liberty” makes for a chaotic and addicting dance through a nonstop set of passionate lyrics. The song’s a middle finger to war, inspired largely by the recent events in Ukraine. Its insanely gleeful nature requires a full band stockpile: complete with flutes, banjos, gang vocals, and spirited violins. Even at their most political, Flogging Molly bring an optimistic touch, often with a promised pint of beer.
What happens when the booze runs out, though? At this point in their career, the less Flogging Molly try to recreate the unbeatable
Drunken Lullabies the better. That song is a bona-fide classic, and the band will always be able to tear down any venue performing it live. Unfortunately, the track is also so good that any added attempt to encourage an Irish-pub style mosh pit never quite adds up to the chaotic perfection of its former shadow. Admittedly,
Anthem has a few tracks here that are guilty as charged, but the overall package is a mixture of variety, passion, and their most thoughtful lyrics in years.
I’m happy to report “These Are The Days” unleashes Flogging Molly at their somber best. Being the tender guy that I am, I’ve always been moved by the some of their ballads, but this surpasses even their most melancholic heavy hitters. As far as I’m concerned, their most emotionally draining song has always been “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”, which was proudly snuck into my wedding soundtrack back in 2013. Almost ten years later, I’m a bit dumbfounded that they’ve finally topped their fiercest slow burner. “These Are The Days” is one of those songs that wouldn’t have hit as hard back then. In the current state of the world though, it feels vital. King’s performance is overwhelming here, conveying such a passionate and depressing croon over somewhat hushed strings and weeping accordions. I never thought I’d use David Bowie’s name in a Flogging Molly review, yet it’s hard not to feel his influence for a brief but unmistakably distinct moment in the song’s second half. There’s an abrupt mood shift, with an eerie and theatrical howl that feels removed from anything I’ve ever heard from the band. I’m more than confident it will be a new favorite in Flogging Molly concerts, playlists, or fanboy rankings. The band milk this vulnerable moment for what they can, closing the album with another poignant number, “The Parting Wave.”
This marks my 6th review of Flogging Molly on this site, but my first in ten years. It’s an odd feeling. Admittedly, my love for the band was derived from a different chapter in my life, but the power of nostalgia should never be underestimated.
Anthem is far from perfect, and at times there’s the urge to just turn it off and jam
Drunken Lullabies or
Swagger, but its worth sticking with if only for its phenomenal standout tracks. It’s just a shame some moments are a just bit too predictable for their own good. I suppose I’m chasing the dragon a bit with
Anthem, trying to get that unbeatable high I once got with Flogging Molly’s music. At times I’m left disappointed, but for a few insanely powerful moments, I’m almost there.
