Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/15/2005
The Young Dubliners may no longer be the sprightly lads who met in a Los Angeles pub in the early '90s, but the Irish-American quintet's highly accessible blend of
Celtic and
roots rock has lost none of its fiery spirit. While parenthood and other forbidden
rock & roll notions may have crept into the fold, chief songwriter
Keith Roberts handles these new responsibilities with care, capably juggling the wonders of family life (
"Evermore"), post-9/11 paranoia (
"Say It's So"), and good old-fashioned Blarney-revelry (
"Waxies Dargle") with equal parts mischief and heartfelt candor on the group's fifth record,
Real World. His
Bono-esque croon serves the songs well, especially the energetic opener that doubles as the album's namesake -- like
"Touch the Sky," with its anthemic chorus and Uilleann pipe lead, it blends the two genres so effectively that it never sounds like a gimmick. These are reliable songs from a reliable band, and while skeptics may decry their
U2-meets-
the Hooters brand of
adult alternative rock as contrived, there's no grandstanding here, just a group of guys who love to play together and do it extremely well.
~James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
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