Rovers Ahead "Always the Sinner, Never the Saint" Cat. no. MMASR002
Release date: 7 February 2014
Running time: 44:07 13 tracks
What do Flogging Molly, Sir Reg and Rovers Ahead have in common? Yes, all of these bands are fronted by an Irish expat.
Rovers Ahead is an eight piece band hailing from Denmark. The band was established in 2007 and they delivered a couple of 3 track EPs in 2009 (“Candy Farm Sessions”) and 2010 (“Subversive Sessions”). Nevertheless, their album was not released till the beginning of February 2014. As the bands has stated in the digital booklet liner notes “This particular record has been through so many trials and tribulations and we are proud to finally be able to release it!”
We have been following the band from our very beginning and are happy to hear how the songs have evolved from their first live songs from Myspace heyday and the two EPs to the final studio cuts. Some musicians have gone and new members have joined the band, but the core of the band has not changed: Nathan Corcoran (vocals), Lasse Lund Elmer (guitar), Benjamin Hansen (banjo, mandolin, guitar), Niels Koch (fiddle) and Kaare Grasboll (accordion). And this is one of the band’s strengths, the songwriting and the musicianship is top-notch because Nathan, Lasse, Benjamin, Niels and Kaares have been together for a long time. The wait has been too long, but the effort has paid off.
As far as the lyrics are concerned, even if some of them have been written by Danes, the topics have a strong Irish pedigree: difficult relationships between a father and his son (“My Dear Father”), losers (“King of Nothing”), pub & booze life “One Mad Night at the Pub”, “Went Out to Get a Drink”), “difficult loves” ("Bonnie Lass", "Ghost of Anne Reily") … and an amazing punk/social number about being on the dole nowadays (“Lend Me This Month’s Rent”).
Rovers Ahead have followed an approach that I do really appreciate: almost all of the tracks are self-penned songs and one of them is an instrumental number, “Stingy Jack’s Rumble”. Besides, the only traditional track is a spoken number, “The Mouse on the Barroom Floor”. In other words, no standard drinking song can be found on their debut album. Hats-off to you, Rovers Ahead!
Musically, the sound of the band tries to go away from the Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys ends. They have an own sound with some Dubliners, Blood or Whiskey and Killigans drops. “Always the Sinner, Never the Saint” has been mixed and mastered by Göran Frid and Erik Dahlqvist at DFM Studios. Yes, the very same Erik Dahlqvist from Sir Reg. Then you can be aware that the album sound is perfect.
The highlights on the album IMHO would be “One Mad Night at the Pub”, “Stingy Jack’s Rumble”, “Bonnie Lass”, “Lend Me This Month’s Rent”, “My Dear Father”, “Day of Defeat”, “King of Nothing” and “Make Me a Saint”.
The album packaging is a digipack with no lyrics booklet. However, a link to the PDF booklet is stated on the credit notes. Once you have bought your CD and downloaded the digital booklet, you’lll get a further reward ;-)
What are you waiting for? Grab a Carlsberg bottle, a pint of stout or a bottle of whiskey and dance to “Always the Sinner, Never the Saint”
Release date: 7 February 2014
Running time: 44:07 13 tracks
What do Flogging Molly, Sir Reg and Rovers Ahead have in common? Yes, all of these bands are fronted by an Irish expat.
Rovers Ahead is an eight piece band hailing from Denmark. The band was established in 2007 and they delivered a couple of 3 track EPs in 2009 (“Candy Farm Sessions”) and 2010 (“Subversive Sessions”). Nevertheless, their album was not released till the beginning of February 2014. As the bands has stated in the digital booklet liner notes “This particular record has been through so many trials and tribulations and we are proud to finally be able to release it!”
We have been following the band from our very beginning and are happy to hear how the songs have evolved from their first live songs from Myspace heyday and the two EPs to the final studio cuts. Some musicians have gone and new members have joined the band, but the core of the band has not changed: Nathan Corcoran (vocals), Lasse Lund Elmer (guitar), Benjamin Hansen (banjo, mandolin, guitar), Niels Koch (fiddle) and Kaare Grasboll (accordion). And this is one of the band’s strengths, the songwriting and the musicianship is top-notch because Nathan, Lasse, Benjamin, Niels and Kaares have been together for a long time. The wait has been too long, but the effort has paid off.
As far as the lyrics are concerned, even if some of them have been written by Danes, the topics have a strong Irish pedigree: difficult relationships between a father and his son (“My Dear Father”), losers (“King of Nothing”), pub & booze life “One Mad Night at the Pub”, “Went Out to Get a Drink”), “difficult loves” ("Bonnie Lass", "Ghost of Anne Reily") … and an amazing punk/social number about being on the dole nowadays (“Lend Me This Month’s Rent”).
Rovers Ahead have followed an approach that I do really appreciate: almost all of the tracks are self-penned songs and one of them is an instrumental number, “Stingy Jack’s Rumble”. Besides, the only traditional track is a spoken number, “The Mouse on the Barroom Floor”. In other words, no standard drinking song can be found on their debut album. Hats-off to you, Rovers Ahead!
Musically, the sound of the band tries to go away from the Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys ends. They have an own sound with some Dubliners, Blood or Whiskey and Killigans drops. “Always the Sinner, Never the Saint” has been mixed and mastered by Göran Frid and Erik Dahlqvist at DFM Studios. Yes, the very same Erik Dahlqvist from Sir Reg. Then you can be aware that the album sound is perfect.
The highlights on the album IMHO would be “One Mad Night at the Pub”, “Stingy Jack’s Rumble”, “Bonnie Lass”, “Lend Me This Month’s Rent”, “My Dear Father”, “Day of Defeat”, “King of Nothing” and “Make Me a Saint”.
The album packaging is a digipack with no lyrics booklet. However, a link to the PDF booklet is stated on the credit notes. Once you have bought your CD and downloaded the digital booklet, you’lll get a further reward ;-)
What are you waiting for? Grab a Carlsberg bottle, a pint of stout or a bottle of whiskey and dance to “Always the Sinner, Never the Saint”
Tracklist:
01 - My Dear Father 4:07
02 - Bonnie Lass 2:54
03 - Ghost of Anne Reily 3:29
04 - King of Nothing 3:08
05 - The Mouse on the Barroom Floor 0:20
06 - One Mad Night at the Pub 2:44
07 - Went Out to Get a Drink (But Ended Up in Jail) 2:35
08 - Rose Full of thorns 3:49
09 - Make Me a Saint 4:17
10 - Stingy Jack's Rumble 2:02
11 - Day of defeat 3:42
12 - Town I Love so Well 4:48
13 - Lend Me This Month's Rent 6:07
Website
Facebook
Reverbnation
Click to buy:
Bandcamp
Review by Kinksmarkham
01 - My Dear Father 4:07
02 - Bonnie Lass 2:54
03 - Ghost of Anne Reily 3:29
04 - King of Nothing 3:08
05 - The Mouse on the Barroom Floor 0:20
06 - One Mad Night at the Pub 2:44
07 - Went Out to Get a Drink (But Ended Up in Jail) 2:35
08 - Rose Full of thorns 3:49
09 - Make Me a Saint 4:17
10 - Stingy Jack's Rumble 2:02
11 - Day of defeat 3:42
12 - Town I Love so Well 4:48
13 - Lend Me This Month's Rent 6:07
Website
Reverbnation
Click to buy:
Bandcamp
Review by Kinksmarkham
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