The Whisky Priests is a rock band influenced by traditional music in way that lends the music strength and substance. The folk influence goes far beyond the use of instruments, such as the tin whistle, to give a little color; the band purveys strong songs about people who may not have a lot of advantages but who still try to make better lives for themselves.

The themes look back to traditional ones but they frequently have a modern twist. "My Ship" tells the story of a sailor who leaves family and friends behind for the sea, but it could be the tale of anyone who chases a goal and realizes, too late, that he has lost everything worth having. Many songs reiterate the album's title: the chorus of "Alice in Wonderland," from whence the title comes, reads like a new age affirmation, but the catchy melody and the song's story of a woman stuck in a loveless marriage make it more than aimless rhetoric. "Side by Side" exhorts quarreling siblings to stand together, while "Song for Ewan" is a hopeful greeting to a new baby. The positive songs manage to be sincere without being saccharine, no mean feat.

Even the songs that depict a less happy reality remain cognizant of positive possibilities. A real standout is "What I Could Have Been," in which the narrator thinks back on a musical career that went nowhere and regrets his nightly trip to the pub to drown his sorrows. Even as he laments his current state, he knows that somehow, if he could just manage it, he could turn things around. The mix of regret, self-loathing and stubborn hope is complicated, well-rendered and convincing. There is even some comic relief with the sardonic "Car Boot Sale," which goes into the low-rent shopping musical hall of fame with Cheryl Wheeler's "Estate Sale," among others.

Lead singer and acoustic guitarist Gary Miller wrote the original songs (twin brother Glenn Miller contributed the waltz "Positive Steps," the only instrumental on the album); he sings with strength and conviction. Glenn Miller plays accordion and piano, Hugh Bradley plays various stringed instruments and flute, Andy Tong plays bass and Cozy Dixon plays percussion. The only non-originals are Johnny Handle's "Going to the Mine" and the traditional sea shanty "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her," which closes the disc. The playing is unpretentious and the sounds of the whistle, accordion and mandolin supply an unaffected traditional tone to the songs. For example, "The Man Who Sold His Town" begins as a regular rock number but slowly fades out with a skirling march that would befit any pipe and drum corps; this touch is courtesy of whistle, flute and electric guitar. The playing is as straightforward and sincere as the songs themselves, just as it should be. All lyrics and full credits are in the liner notes, although they are set small in an artsy typeface. No matter: for a strong swig of Irish folk-rock, one need look no farther than the Whisky Priests.

- Rambles
written by Jennifer Hanson
published 18 January 2003

[ visit the artist's website ]