Dublinesque – Self-Titled
Yes, I know it can’t be Americana if it’s out of Dublin. Realistically, that’s one of the places true Americana was born. Made its way to Appalachia, reinterpreted, rewritten for the American mountains & passed down generation to generation. You can’t tell me Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” isn’t “Scarborough Fair.”
Eamonn Flynn’s Dublinesque – Self-Titled (Dropped Oct 2/Little Village/41:45) takes our Yankee ears down pensive pathways in the spirit of the traditional. “Cul Aodh/Sunny Hills of Beara/The Connaughtman’s Rambles” are jigs & peculiar titles don’t have to get your socks up in a knot. It’s a bright instrumental that your feet & toes will understand.
Eamonn’s vocals grace “Sack Em Ups/Old Hag You Have Killed Me/Dinny Delaney’s” in a tradition I picked up from Horslips (“Book of Invasions”). The “sack em ups” are body snatchers of the 19th century Dublin. They sold corpses to a college of surgeons for medical students. And this is what they sing about in Dublin? When they have beautiful women like Maureen O’Hara to sing about? But be impressed with the musicianship, the piano, fiddle sawing, wild harmonica & bellowing accordion. They ignite everything without smoke.
Eamonn (piano/harmonium/guitar/Wurlitzer electric piano) based now in San Francisco has played & taught there for years. He’s worked with The Meters, Elvin Bishop & Maria Muldaur. He played keyboards on the soundtrack for “The Commitments.” This LP is Eamonn keeping his best foot forward in Irish music & his other foot tapping because the music never lets up on energy.
Many melodies are centuries old & some are originals mixed in like bites into dark chocolate & salty potato chips. The way this splendid band arranges the process for a modern performance is like a thick froth on a tall pint of Guinness. Assembled sturdy with the invariably cool Eamonn Flynn vocals (“Thugamar Fein An Samhradh Linn,” & “Butte, Montana”). The 10 celebratory tempos produced by Mr. Flynn was recorded, mixed & mastered by Kid Andersen (guitar/upright bass).
Take your pick of the 10 – some are highlighted but all are “take them home good.” It’s music that a child told me decades ago is “smiling music.” Now I have to get all my Pogues, Christy Moore & Moving Hearts & Burning Bridget Cleary LPs out. I may be Italian but I’m having corned beef, cabbage & Shepard’s pie this weekend. Maybe “The Quiet Man” will be on. This music conjures Maureen O’Hara & her flaming red hair for me. Mr. Flynn knows not how deep his music affects people…but I’ll be alright. The music is semi-addictive.
Highlights – “Cul Aodh/Sunny Hills of Beara/The Connaughtman’s Rambles,” “Sack Em Ups/Old Hag You Have Killed Me/Dinny Delaney’s,” “Thugamar Fein An Samhradh Linn,” “Butte, Montana,” “Na Ceannabhain Bhana/St. Brigid’s Day,” “Willie O,” & “Stormy Night/Condon’s Frolics/Doberman’s Wallet.”
Musicians – Darcy Noonan (fiddle/bgv), Hector Egan (banjo/guitar) with Jim Pugh (Hammond organ).
CD image courtesy of Felim Egan (accordion/bodhran/bgv). CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.eamonnflynn.com/