REVIEW - THE CRAICHEADS "Brewed in London" (2014)

The Craicheads "Brewed in London"
Release date: 1 February 2014
Running time: 37:36, 9 tracks

“We’re the Joyce Country Céili band / playing away and we’re doing grand / if we’re singing a song won’t you give us a hand / ‘cos we’re the Joyce Country Céili Band” TheSawDoctors “Songs from Sun Street” (1998) track 9 “Joyce Country Céilí Band”

I feel that these lines from a SawDoctors song are the best introduction to the Craicheads, a well-known live experience in the London Irish scene. The guys could have recorded a live show in a pub and the feeling would have been the same: fun, sweat, dance, happiness, fiddle, whistles, mandolin … “Brewed in London” is not a live album, but the live atmosphere is there. Most of the songs are covers. However they belong to that particular universe in which bridges are built between folk music from both sides of the pond. You know, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle but also Shane MacGowan and Pat Gallagher.

The two originals, “Take Me Back to Harrow” and “Sligo Shore” are great numbers. The former is a song about the London area in which they live and the latter is a lively instrumental about Co. Sligo.

Regarding the covers, I’ve enjoyed their rendition of Guns and Roses  (“Sweet Polka of Mine”) which has been merged with a couple of polkas. But, IMHO,  the most attractive numbers are the musical tributes to Donegal’s finest Goats Don’t Shave. A couple of songs from the band’s debut album “The Rusty Razor” (Gold Disc in Ireland) have been  covered:  “Mary Mary” and “Las Vegas (in the Hills of Donegal”). In fact, “Las Vegas (in the Hills of Donegal)” is the final part of a kick-ass medley at the end of the album together with  “Fields of Athenry” and  “Tell Me Ma”.

So, “Brewed in London” is a nice collection of songs that any busker should play, but also that any band playing at a pub next St.Patrick’s Day should play with a similar attitude. The Craicheads have shown that they are familiar with the Irish musical world. They do have an own sound and the right background; good stuff.

Tracklist:

01 - Ring of Fire 3:10
02 - Take Me Back to Harrow 2:45
03 - Fiesta 4:14
04 - Mary Mary 2:17
05 - Galway Girl 2:58
06 - Sligo Shore 2:14
07 - Wagon Wheel 4:17
08 - Sweet Polka of Mine 5:21
09 - Medley: Fields of Athenry / Tell Me Ma / Hills of Donegal 10:14    

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Review by Kinksmarkham