Four-man trad group Raglan Road have released a new wave of classics in their most recent album of the same name. The group, whose members hail from all around the Maritimes, put their chic rock spin on the traditional sea shanties and jigs that have been made popular by renowned artists such as Steve Earle, the Rankin Family and the Dropkick Murphys.
Starting with “Drunken Sailor,“ most recently popularized by Irish Rovers, the group opts to open with a candid banjo melody—which they utilize in the rest of track—before diving into the iconic lyrics. Just what would Raglan Road do with a drunken sailor?
Their rendition “Lamenter’s Lament,” of which The Town Pants rendition is the best-known, is a particularly interesting specimen. It doesn’t seem to have the energy levels that The Town Pants version does. Given that it feels just a bit tamer, however, it does feel more like a genuine lament, which in a way adds to the essence that the track is looking to give off.
“Mari Mac,” made famous by Great Big Sea, immediately follows, and takes a much more rock-heavy approach than the previous songs listeners have encountered thus far. That said, it still retains the tongue-twister wordplay and the increased tempo of the track’s latter half and is certainly one of the standout songs of the album.
Moreover, “Getting Dark Again” captures a feeling of relaxed togetherness in each and every sound, “Heave Away” shows off the group’s rock and roll capabilities with a tempo you can dance to and “Can’t See You” demonstrates the group’s rock quality yet again, but this time in a slow-rock fashion.
As a Cape Bretoner, I was curious to see how well the group pulled off The Rankin Family’s “Mull River Shuffle,” and admittedly the vocals could have used a tad more energy to capture the spirit of this Celtic music staple. However, the album’s slow ushering in of rock and roll elements are in full swing by the time “Mull River Shuffle” rolls around, and the powerful shred of the electric guitar in place of the fiddle puts a spin on this classic tune, making it definitely worth checking out.
However, I’m not sure if I can say the same about “Shipping Up To Boston.” Though the percussion was well done and the back-up vocalists did a good job of capturing the non-verbal effects of the original, the string piece in place of the bagpipes does not deliver the same energy as the original and the vocals lack the killer instinct that Dropkick Murphys built this piece on.
But without a doubt, Raglan Road is definitely worth a listen. The versatile Miramichi-based outfit more than succeed in using newer sounds to bring past ideas back into the present, and their new album is a testament to that.