File Under: Irish/Folk/Rock rating: tracks 1. Drunken Lullabies 2. What's Left Of The Flag 3. May The Living Be Dead In Our Wake 4. If I Ever Leave This World Alive 5. The Kilburn High Road 6. Rebel Of The Sacred Heart 7. Swagger 8. Cruel Mistress 9. Death Valley Queen 10. Another Bag Of Bricks 11. The Rare Ould Times 12. The Sun Never Shines On Closed Doors related links Flogging Molly

To Flog: Pronunciation: 'fläg Function: verb- To beat or strike with a rod or whip; to whip; to lash; to chastise with repeated blows.

A good flogging is probably the best way to describe Flogging Molly’s sophomore release, Drunken Lullabies. It hits you harder and harder with every track, breaks you down to tears, and then forces you to get up and go at it all over again just as any good Irish punk would. In other words, the whole album is worth listening to -- there aren’t just one or two tolerable tracks here; all of them are extremely well done.

The lyrics on every track can move you in some way.

Whether the songs draw a tear to your eye (as on “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”), whet your appetite for a Guinness from the bar, or both ("Rebels of the Sacred Heart”), you’re going to feel something. Writing about what you know is always the best and easiest way to do so, and lead singer Dave King shows he knows that, since it's obvious every word he’s written is straight from his heart. Each song tells a story about his life and his experiences in a very touching manner. Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t some sappy, emo, whiney-girlfriend-broke-up-with-me-so-I’m-sad-album: this is a very rocking, Irish-influenced, I’m-pissed-because-all-this-shit-happened-so-don’t-screw-with-me-because—I’m-drunk, punk album.

The album’s title track sets the pace for the rest of the album by demonstrating the band’s signature sound, complete with banjo and fiddle. There’s also a slightly political slant in the lyrics that come and go throughout the album, however you would be hard pressed to find a band that resembles Flogging Molly’s Irish sound and have it be without any politics (i.e. the Tossers, Dropkick Murphys.) “Drunken Lullabies” also shows simply the band’s ability to completely rock. Who would have thought that mandolins, banjos, a tin whistle, and an accordion could rock so much?

Flogging Molly’s unique Celtic-inspired punk has grown on this, the band's second full-length release, but not grown in that bad way. The group has made a departure from its 2000 release Swagger, but Flogging Molly has matured in that good way; the songs are different but not too different, or commercial. One final thing of note: Flogging Molly is a live band; you need to see the band play in concert for the full Guinness-swigging, tin whistle-playing, jig-dancing effect. Drunken Lullabies is such a good album that it only pales in comparison to the live shows that this band plays. I highly recommend checking out this album as well as the band sometime during its nonstop touring.

Jason Ciprano is a staff writer. Contact him at jason@rockzone.com.