Turn Up That Dial

Pudding, breaking stuff, and the song America needs right now.

Before I listened to this album, I didn’t know that the genre “Celtic punk” even existed.  But, oh, how I was enlightened!  Take the raw energy of punk rock, complete with sledgehammer guitars and throat-rending vocals, then mix in folk instruments like accordion, banjo, penny whistle and – yes – even bagpipes.    The result is a frontal assault of sound that is full of surprises and working-class edginess.  Songs range from funny (“Mick Jones Nicked my Pudding”) to wistful (“I Wish You Were Here”) to a profanity-laden salute to youthful rowdiness (“Smash Sh*t Up”.)

But my favorite track is “We Shall Overcome,” the African American song of solidarity and protest that has been covered by Mahalia Jackson, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and many more.  In the Murphys’ hands, this meditative - even prayerful - song becomes a rousing anthem of unity and hope.  For those of us weary of the rancor and division that typify America’s modern public discourse, “We Shall Overcome” is wonderful medicine.