All this talk about music reminded me that I was going to mention that the new Flogging Molly CD is simply fantastic. There are a few bands that still I religiously pick up the CDs for every album. Flogging Molly is one of those. The new CD “Speed of Darkness” is an entire battle hymn for American revolution. Tracks 2, 4 and 5 are a call for all out war. Recorded and emotionally brewed in Detroit, the album’s theme is generally economic in nature and speaks to the troublesome times we find ourselves in. Being poor, out of work and tired of the continuous bullshit from the government and the rich weaves it’s way across all 12 tracks. Gone are the old sea chanties and traditional Irish backing. The entire CD is as raw and American as you can get.

Musically, the sounds is unique, especially within the FM catalog. I can say that the departure from acoustic guitar and mandolin for the gritty sounds of electric and bass are compatible to Dylan going electric in 1965. It’s a huge artistic statement for the band. A few tracks are even reminiscent of other bands take on social-political topics. “Don’t Shut’em Down” sounds eerily similar to a few tracks off GreenDay’s “21st Century Breakdown”, which is actually a good thing.

It’s not all new sounds however. A good number of the songs still feature the same poignant Dave King warble and raw lyrical power, including a fantastic duet with his wife (and the bands fiddle player) on Track 11, “A Prayer for Me in Silence”.

As a huge fan of the band in general, I’m clearly biased when I say that you should really pick this up, but the impartial music lover in me easily agrees. I found it at Target for $7.99, it’s the same on Amazon as well. I highly recommend it. It’s already the soundtrack to my summer. If you care to purchase it via Amazon, you could always do so via my affiliate link. In full disclosure, I think I get like $0.50 or something if you actually do.