Drunken Lullabies

“A Guinness-soaked musical body blow” is the descriptive slogan you’ll find on the intro page to this band’s Web site, and that’s about as good a description as you’re likely to find. Other candidates would be “America’s answer to The Pogues” and “the West Coast’s answer to Black 47.” But none of those really does justice to Flogging Molly’s punky rock-and-reel; for one thing, there’s none of the teetering-on-the-edge tension that always characterized The Pogues’ performances (both live and in the studio), and for another thing, singer Dave King can actually carry a tune, which marks a major point of separation from Black 47. Instead, what we have here is something like a cross between the tuneful attractiveness of the Oyster Band and the in-your-face aggression of, say, Rancid. What’s not to love? Highlights include the lovely “Death Valley Queen” and the raucous, mostly instrumental “Swagger.” Visit www.sideonedummy.com