Pogue Mahone

Catholics without the Pope. Duke basketball without Coach Krzyzewski. The Pogues without Shane MacGowan. Disbelievers said it couldn't be done. But Pogue Mahone (Gaelic for "kiss my ass" and the original name of the band) is the Pogues' second release since the untimely departure of MacGowan in 1993. And the remaining Pogues sound as feisty as ever, filling every crevice of their music with a taste of traditional Irish and English folk mixed with a punk aesthetic.

The album begins with a band, featuring strong guitar and accordian riffs to rival any bluegrass or zydeco band. Jem finer does a superb job on the banjo, giving the songs just that extra twist of abnormality. Finer is also the author of five of the thirteen songs on the disc, all of which are fast-moving, high-profile banjo songs.

Spider Stacy brings his rough voice to the album, something you would expect from the Pogues. His voice isn't as rough or raucous with the lyrics as MacGowan, but I think this is a benefit. It allows the listener to focus on the beautiful instrumentals behind the vocals instead of trying to avoid the caterwauling in the foreground.

There are a few songs which need to be pointed out as real jewels. Track six, "I'll Love You Till the End," is a melodic ballad sung by Stach and guest vocalist Debsey Wykes. Wykes' lilting Irish tone gives the song ten times more magic, and is a great highlight to the disc. James McNally's work on the whistle on track eight, "Oretown," also deserves kudos. He carries the second half of the song with a slow, hearty melody that conveys the heartache of living in a deserted mining town.

The twelfth song on Pogue Mahone is fairly uncharacteristic of the band; it reminds you of the 10,000 Maniacs in their heyday. The Pogues take bitter lyrics about a lost love and put them against a background of happy music instead of their usual sharp, violent, dark melodies. The result is that the listener bounces around the room, listening to Stacy sing things like "Sometimes I wonder who's making love to you now." The bright chord progressions fromthe guitar and the sunny strains from the violin combine to make the song a success.

If you're a fan of the Pogues, buy this album immediately. It has everything you're used to, plus a few gems. If you're new to the Pogues, buy this album immediately, too. It's a great marriage of Irish folk and punk, and it will broaden your horizons. On the surface, it may not make sense to marry the music of the Sex Pistols and the Chieftains, but all the sense you'll need (and all the nonsense, too) is right here in these songs.