After their last release, their Christmas album from 2022 (the review of the album “Seven Holy Nights“ can be read here at ramtatta.de: https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/9510/), FIDDLER´S GREEN from beautiful Erlangen released their new album on December 29, 2023. It is their 26th album!
Now let's go to our record shelf and see which band has released 26 albums. There aren’t many, if any at all.
FIDDLER´S GREEN are extremely productive and active. This year they were on the festival stages of the republic, and this year they will continue, on a smaller scale, with many gigs. A spring tour with 14 concerts is already confirmed, and the band-organized “Shamrock Castle” festival will also take place again over two days in the summer.
So it can be said without exaggeration that the green machine from Franconia is well-oiled and running. It’s no wonder that the band fittingly calls their new album “The Green Machine”.
The twelve songs offer what the band is loved for, which is a danceable mix of Irish Folk, punk rock, rock, offbeat, and driving 4/4 rhythm.
This starts with the first song “Shanghaied in Portsmouth” and continues with five songs full of tempo, rhythm, and infectious folk-punk. Only with the sixth song, just before the end of the first half, does the band slow down. The sixth song is a longing anthem that is perfect for catching your breath and getting a beer live. Of course, it’s also great for linking arms and dreaming together.
In the second half, the band starts off quickly again, but then slows down once more, singing about the “Hangover” in song number nine. If your throat is too dry, you can also take a breather here and grab a cold beer. This song is the first on the album that, for me, has a bit too much of a stadium rock attitude and offers nothing surprising either musically or lyrically.
The last song “The Parting Glass” is also a calm number, as it could also come from the singer of the Canadian band The Real McKenzies. Paul McKenzie would give the song much more depth and presence with his fantastic voice than singer Ralf “Albi” Albers manages. Thus, the song is not bad, but personally, it feels a bit too polished for me. I miss the subculture that can still be heard in the voice of Flogging Molly, at least a little.
FIDDLER´S GREEN has been around since 1990. Since then, they have made a name for themselves through constant live presence and many releases. The band has fans, and these fans have mostly remained loyal to the band for many years.
Personally, I tend to turn to the well-known bands from the USA, Canada, and the Czech Republic when I want to listen to folk-punk and related genres. There’s somehow more in it for me.
Can you hear that FIDDLER´S GREEN comes from Germany? Well, maybe.
What stands out to me the most is that the band is a bit cleaner. Perhaps a bit too clean for me.
Nevertheless, I enjoy the album about 80%.
Live, I’m sure a few more percentage points will be added... I hope.
