THE MAHONES come from Canada, just like The Real McKenzies. While the McKenzies have their roots in Scotland, THE MAHONES have theirs in Ireland. That's a fact, but the previous sentence is nonsense. There is no connection to be seen.
Sometimes it's indeed difficult to find a good introduction. Before I consider whether to delete the sentence or just continue, I decide to take a good sip of strong Irish whiskey first.
THE MAHONES have been around for quite a long time now. According to the cliché, the band was formed in an Irish pub and was heavily influenced by alcohol. Yes, yes, the good alcohol; without it, friendships and bands would be fewer on this earth.
THE MAHONES had their founding gig on none other than St. Patrick's Day. If that’s not a good omen.
The band has released several albums, and their journey reads like a steep dream career. They have played with almost every known scene figure, engaged in film music, and repeatedly performed concerts.
The folk influence is clearly present on the record, but overall not really audible. The sound is generally okay, the music has quite nice melodies, and the vocals sound beautifully rough, just as they should in folk-punk. But somehow, the spark doesn't really jump over. The album lacks edges and corners. Some intros are good and make one think of wood-paneled, labyrinthine, and smoky pubs (which no longer exist in Ireland or here. Thank you, dear non-smokers!), where the crowd celebrates and has fun. Sometimes it's more than just the intro, but in every song, standard punk rock takes over more or less. Everything is somewhat okay and not bad. Good songs like “A Pain from Yesterday” are, however, few and far between. Those are the songs that consistently push forward with a folk influence and are the most fun. Why doesn't the band dare to do this consistently? That’s exactly what gives the music its soul.
So overall, it remains a decent album, but it won't blow away the folk-punk fan, and can THE MAHONES be recommended as an entry band for folk-punk? Well, maybe, but maybe not.
Perhaps they will convince live.
In spring 2011, they will be touring in Europe and Germany.
