The Mary Wallopers’ new album ‘Paddywhackery’ is unsurprisingly and unashamedly brash, bold and so enjoyable. Across 11 tracks of original songs, classic folk songs and reimagined historical folk stories, ‘Paddywhackery’ is punk fun and packs a hell of a punch.
Unsurprisingly given its title, the record deals with Irish identity throughout. The opening track, ‘Crowns Of England’, sets the scene for what follows: “For all the Crowns in England, I couldn’t quench my thirst. I wandered back to Dundalk town, the place that quenched it first.” The tempo is high, guitar riffs are crisp and the uilleann pipes ring out proudly over vocals hopeful and yearning for home.
As fans of the group’s storytelling have come to love across previous records, the album puts wrongdoers from both past and present bang to rights. ‘The Big Mixer’ deals with the mistreatment of Irish immigrants working in England by Robert McAlpine’s construction firm.
“Do what you’re told by the bosses
Try not to rattle the cage
Bless when you pass by the crosses
In Heaven you might break your chains.”
What The Mary Wallopers capture so well, with a catchy melody played out on the tin whistle through the chorus, is the relevancy of Irish struggle to that of today, all whilst remaining upbeat and infectious. Not many bands could pull off singing about a 1930s construction magnate and self-checkout tills in Tesco in the same song, but it’s undeniably The Mary Wallopers.
With simple but effective instrumentals, a bodhrán’s rhythmic beat and crisp tin whistle, the property-owning class get a dressing down on ‘Landlord’s Demise’, a nod to IRA guerrilla leader Tom Barry. The track provides a slight breather amidst an otherwise energetic record and, with the vocals taking such prominence, it feels as much an Irish punk call to arms as it does a folk song.
In traditional fashion, classics are reimagined on ‘Worker’s Song’ and ‘The Micky Dam’, with the latter another example of slowing things down and stripping back the layers. Both tracks pay homage to tradition and ensure the record pays back to the heritage that came before.
A special shoutout to ‘Sean ná Sagart’, one of the most high-tempo tracks on the album, which will get stuck in your head all day. The track chronicles an 18th-century priest hunter and, with the chorus stating “100 for a Bishop, 20 for a Priest”, you won’t believe you’re really singing about a bounty on priests.
With the Wallopers’ European tour coming up shortly and their live presence well known to be top class, this album promises to place itself perfectly within the band’s existing setlist. This is certainly music made to be heard live and experienced collectively where possible.
‘Paddywhackery’ really is Irish punk folk at its best. Leveraging the wide arsenal of modern and traditional Irish sounds, The Mary Wallopers hold a mirror up to the past to show today’s struggles in a way that is often high-tempo, fun and energetic. It’s a record that manages to be politically charged without ever losing its sense of fun, finding the absurdity, anger and joy in Irish history and identity along the way.
8/10