REVIEW - BASTARD BEARDED IRISHMEN "Rise of the Bastard" (2014)

Bastard Bearded Irishmen "Rise of the Bastard" Self-released
Release date: 17 May 2014
Running time: 48:55, 15 tracks

At the beginning of 2014 I was discussing with a friend of mine about the upcoming albums for 2014. She told me that she was looking forward to hearing a new Flogging Molly album, but in their earlier albums vein. I don’t know if Flogging Molly are going to release “that” album in 2014, but I feel that my friend will agree with me if I say that Bastard Bearded Irishmen “Rise of the Bastard” is the album that all the Flogging Molly old fans were looking for.

After having released their self-titled debut album in 2011, the sextet from Pittsburgh is back with a must have 15 track album. If you are not familiar with the band, they are not balladeers (even if their name seems to be a tribute to The Dubliners) but a fecking good Celtic punk band. Their influences are clear, Flogging Molly and The Killigans, but Jimmy Bastard and his band mates have been able to develop their own sound. Excellent fiddle, mandolin and electric guitar can be heard on an album full of tales about girls, heroes, booze and boozers.

Three standards have been recorded, “All for Me Grog”, “Tell Me Ma” and “Three Drunken Maidens”. I’m partial to the last one, which is maybe the most Dubliners infused number on the album. Besides, Paul Dvorchak’s fiddle is amazing. Anyway, the self-penned songs are the real strength of the band: “Switchblade Molly” is a song that gives Flogging Molly a run for their money and has a fantastic instrumental ending; “Rotten Irish Plank” is an instrumental that can also rival with the Los Angeles band's classic stuff; “Tomorrow” and “Red” are numbers on which the band moves to the Lexington Field earlier material end; “Heidi Ho” is a genuine fast-paced  Irish punk anthem (“They took me to the station downtown for questioning/Well how I was supposed to know that she was 17”); “Land of the Free” is a The Killigans meet Dropkick Murphys Celtic street punk number; “Bastard Blarney” is a not-so-fast Celtic punk number,  and there are two “boozer” songs too, “Bartender’s Friend” (one of my faves!!! “So buy me a drink or send me back home/just don’t tell me my limits, cause you´re not my bloody mom") and “Whiskey, Rum, Bourbon, Beer”, the sing-along number of the album. But I would like to draw your attention to an excellent song, “Last Drink”. It's probably the best written song on the album: only piano and vocals at the beginning of the song, then, one by one,  the fiddle, the rhythm section, the mandolin and the electric guitar join. If the music kicks ass, let alone the lyrics.

“Rise of the Bastards” hard copies are sold in a digipack packing. Once the packing is unfolded, the lyrics to the songs can be found at both sides. The front cover, the band’s picture and the picture on the back cover are great additions to this labor of love. As far as the music is concerned, “Rise of the Bastard” may reach the Top 5 at the end of the year, but regarding the packaging/artwork, I’m sure that they’ll got the “best of 2014” award.

Jimmy, Jon, Dan, Danny, Paul and Ben have recorded a top-notch album where fiddle, mandolin and electric guitar performances are higher than average. If you have enjoyed the likes of The Kilmaine Saints, Brick Top Blaggers and Craic, this band is the next Big Thing for you. Remember the name: Bastard Bearded Irishmen.

Tracklist:

01 - Mamá 4:17
02 - Switchblade Molly 4:36
03 - Tomorrow 2:38
04 - Paddy O' Shea 3:18
05 - Red 3:09
06 - Heidi Ho 1:34
07 - All For Me Grog 2:31
08 - Bastard Blarney 3:31
09 - Tell Me Ma 2:18
10 - Last Drink 4:56
11 - Rotten Irish Plank 2:51
12 - Three Drunken Maidens 2:13
13 - Land of the Free 4:15
14 - Bartender's Friend 3:19
15 - Whiskey, Rum, Bourbon, Beer 3:23    

Website
Facebook
Reverbnation
Soundcloud
Twitter

Click to buy

Band's Store
CDBaby 

iTunes

Review by Kinksmarkham