Flogging Molly

Float

[4.5/5]

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, sage/guitarist/vocalist Dave King & Co. deliver 11 tracks destined to go down in the annals of Celtic-punk crossover music (if there is such a category) as a polished and full-bodied classic. Sure, Flogging Molly don’t deviate much from the Guinness-stained path they’ve paved over the past 10 years, but the writing, performances and production are so articulate, so smart and so endearing that you won’t care one bit. Float finds King an expatriate Johnny Appleseed, sowing the seeds of his motherland with the heart of a hero, delivering enough variety from song to song to please Warped Tour kids and worn-out workers alike. Ass-kicking anthems like “Lightning Storm,” “You Won’t Make A Fool Out Of Me” and “Man With No Country” will leave you hoarse and shirtless, singing along in fist-pumping abandon. But it’s the mid-tempo “Punch Drunk Grinning Soul,” the more traditional “Us Of Lesser Gods” and the Lou Reed-ish “The Story So Far” that evoke the kind of nostalgia and contentment that gets caught in the throat. Decidedly mature and unapologetically soulful, Float is one of the most important records of this young year. (SIDEONEDUMMY) Casey Lynch

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IN-STORE SESSION WITH FRONTMAN DAVE KING

What inspired the lyrics and songwriting for Float?

For me, it was coming back to Ireland. It was almost like a 360-degree experience. I was singing from the experience of being abroad but then being back home again, which was new in and of itself. A lot of the lyrics came pretty easy to me.

When was the last time you lived in Ireland?

Oh, 1989. I moved to the States for quite a while, [but] I decided to come back because I thought I needed a change; I figured I’d see how it went. I’m still here, so I guess it’s working out.

Has it changed much since you left?

Oh, yeah, and that’s what the lyrics are about in some ways, like “Paddy’s Lament,” for instance. Ireland isn’t the culture it was when I left. It’s been modernized, and it’s very successful.

What are the most personal lyrics on the record?

Well, when I think of songs like “The Story So Far” or “Punch Drunk Grinning Soul,” the songs are as different musically as the lyrics are personal. I didn’t really realize it until the album was finished how personal the lyrics actually are.

Was that intentional, writing the lyrics that way?

You know, it’s something I haven’t done as much of before but at this stage in my life, I think it’s probably what I needed to do. I don’t know why. I think I’m a lot more of a personal person; I’m not as young as I used to be. When I wrote the lyrics-I live in the middle of the country; it’s very quiet, and you have time to think a lot. When you live in a situation like that, you think about yourself and how you affect other people. It’s great you can still do that with your lyrics in a band like Flogging Molly. A lot of bands can’t do that because you have to keep up the image.



Are there any lyrics that are tough to sing personally?

Yeah, I mean sometimes when I sing slow and it’s so personal, it’s hard to get the thing out. I remember writing “Us Of Lesser Gods,” it was very hard to sing. For me, it’s not worthwhile writing unless it does that to the writer. You have to be 150 percent involved in a song.

Even though it’s hard, does it help you on the other side once you’ve written the song and can sing it?

Absolutely. I’m not the greatest communicator, and I don’t explain myself very well, so I’m grateful I can write lyrics. –Casey Lynch