Rating: 9.5/10
Release: 2 June 2017
Label: Vanguard/Spinefarm Records

20 Years ago, the first Flogging Molly album was released, a live album. A few years later their first studio album was a fact, and although the band isn’t very productive, album-wise, the albums they released were all beauties. Now it’s time for their 6th studio-album. It’s called ‘Life is Good’ and I can imagine it is for Flogging Molly.
Although the lyrics are often on the downside of things, politics, society, relationships, and there’s plenty of that around the world, even in the USA, Life has been good for these musicians. Years of hard labour touring the world, spicing up many festival, blowing the roof of lots of venues with their party music made them one of the very big ones in their genre. Speaking of Celtic and Folk-punk, the first names which fall into mind will be Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys and The Mahones.
But what if it has been six years back when the last studio album was recorded? One thing’s for sure the fans haven’t left the band, because you can see them live at festivals and on other gigs. But will the band manage to meet up with the expectations of all these fans. Life has been good for Flogging Molly, but this doesn’t mean they don’t know what’s happening in the world.
But of course the years passed by for these musicians as well, and this made the band even better. The songs are very thought-through, more refined, without losing the Flogging Molly touch. Just like a very good whiskey, the years have past, ripening the writing, maturing the sound. Flogging Molly is one of the best barrels, bringing forth the finest music after years and years.
With ‘Life is Good’ the songs are stronger than ever, and you can find lots of nice songs on this album like ‘Reptiles’ and my personal favorite ‘Crushed’, displaying some nice bagpipes and violin. The greatest problem for the band will be, how they fit in all the nice songs in their set-list.

The six years of waiting were worth it, with ‘Life is Good’ the band has delivered a killer album once again. Let Life be Good to you too and add this album to your collection, you will be sharing a smile for years.

Tracklist

1. There’s Nothing Left Pt. 1
2. The Hand Of John L. Sullivan
3. Welcome To Adamstown
4. Reptiles (We Woke Up)
5. The Days We’ve Yet To Meet
6. Life Is Good
7. The Last Serenade (Sailors and Fisherman)
8. The Guns Of Jericho
9. Crushed (Hostile Nations)
10. Hope
11. The Bride Wore Black
12. Until We Meet Again