Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Flogging Molly

FLOGGING MOLLY
The Power's Out

From: Speed of Darkness
Released: May 31

Over their last few albums, Flogging Molly has started to drift away from their raucous Celtic punk roots and into the rough waters of what could be considered a mainstream-aspiring compromise of less ragged, more easily digestible folk rock. They've caught a fair amount of criticism from the closed minded set that just want every album to be twelve variations on Devil's Dance Floor, but on Speed of Darkness it's beginning to feel like a natural progression. This is not to say that their signature style isn't still present; the title track rocks with confidence, and Oliver Boy (All of Our Boys) is a pub punk masterwork. There's just a little less bite to the overall sound. It doesn't necessarily mean they're going soft; it seems just as likely the fault of the album's production, which definitely softens the blow of their more rowdy material. The difference is, when they pack away their up-tempo shanties and soar on an epic melody, as they do on The Heart of the Sea and Rise Up, the production is their greatest ally. It all comes together on The Power's Out, a furious protest song wrapped in a sinister dirge that boils over in a stew of its own rage.

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