20170529_album_review__the_drunken_lazy_bastards_born_to_be_drunk_2017.zip

The Drunken Lazy Bastards were formed in 2008 only for a St. Patrick’s Day gig in the Paris region. After that show, Max Jouan (guitar, vocals), Louis-Joseph Fournier aka Luigi (flutes, harmonica), Sylvain Jully (accordion) and Jérémy Ducret aka Yeh-Yeh (percussions) decided to follow. So, they worked on a setlist based on songs by The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys , Flogging Molly and The Mahones and traditional stuff from Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. They played the bar circuit for 3 years and the next step was to play their own material. Max, Luigi, Sylvain, Jerémy and Ludivine Houssaye (fiddle) opened for Les Ogres de Barback on March 28, 2012 and it was a successful evening. Then, they recorded a 14 track album titled “Drunk or Alive” and they played big festivals, for instance the Festival Interceltique de Lorient (2013 and 1015) and the Celti’Teuillac (2014). Sylvain moved to the Auvergne region in 2015 and Pamphile joined the band. Ludivine left the band and Nicolas (bass) came in. Therefore, the current line-up is Max (guitar, vocals), Jérémy (drums and percussions), Luigi (flutes and whistles), Pamphile (accordion) and Nicolas (bass).

First of all, one remark. If you are thinking that The Drunken Lazy Bastards are a The Mahones infused band, you’re wrong. The Drunken Lazy Bastards are neither a The Mahones wanabe band, nor a The Mahones tribute band. Celtic punk, country and folk-rock can be found on “Born to Be Drunk”.

“Born to Be Drunk” starts off with “Lemmy, Jimmy, Paddy and I”, a tale about 4 guys who go on a spree in Dublin city. Amazing drinking song featuring Caroline Pearsall on fiddle. ”The Mountain” is the next track. The first part reminds me of Uncle Bard & The Dirty Bastards, because of the vocals with the acoustic guitar. But soon the full band moves to the Flogging Molly territory. Caroline also guests on fiddle.

“God is a Coward” is an interesting country number with a The Pogues twist showcasing tin whistle and accordion.

The Drunken Lazy Bastards are a versatile band and they are able to deliver an excellent folk-rock song, “The Place Behind the Pines”. Vocals and acoustic guitar give the song an American folk rock atmosphere. And the string quartet is a great addition.

Track no. 5, “A Pair of Blue Eyes” could be a tribute to The Pogues. It has different parts: The main song has a Jamie Clarke’s Perfect approach, the tune fiddle/whistle tune has a Scottish trad folk sound and the final part features a string quartet again.

“I Should Have Been an Irish Guy” is the single from the album and a video for this song was released last year. It’s a fantastic fast-paced number about a Frenchman that would like to be Irish. A Plastic Paddy? Maybe, but Saint Patrick’s Day is not mention on the song. “I should have MacGowan’s face but sorry Shane my teeth are still in place”. Patrick Lavallée (The Crook and The Dylan’s) guests on vocals.

As it has been previously said, The Drunken Lazy Bastards are able to stretch the boundaries of the genre. Imagine a blend of Generation X punk rock and Scottish bagpipes rock and you’d get “On the Road Again”. Electric guitar is played by guest Aurélien Turbant. The following number, “Unforgiven”, is an outlaw country featuring Joëlle Nacmias on female vocals and Luigi on harmonica.

Max and the boys come back to the folk-rock sound on “Cursed song”. The vocals and the fiddle have a British sound, but the banjo adds something special. Track no. 10 is titled “The Saint” and it’s one of the standout songs on “Born to be Drunk”. A rocking number with a tight rhythm section and excellent fiddle and whistle tune. Lots of hey shouts and a banjo passage towards the end.

Joëlle Nacmias also guests on female vocals on “Mother and Son”, another country cut featuring banjo and fiddle.

The album is nearly over with “Stone Me”, a folk-rock number. The last song is a catchy drinking song, “Room for One More”. Vocals, low whistle and ukulele at the beginning of the song and then the accordion joins “And we drank, drank whiskey and beer, whiskey by bottles and barrels of beer”

“Born to Be Drunk” was recorded at Midilive studio in Villetaneuse by Mathieu Bréchet and mixed by Vincent Thermidor at Tourfine studio. Raphaël Jonin mastered the album. The CD comes in a digipack with an 8 track booklet including the lyrics to all of the songs. The digital version is available at the usual online retailers.

Why should you add The Drunken Lazy Bastards “Born to Be Drunk” to your CD collection? No covers of standards, but a bunch of great originals; a well-balanced blend of Celtic rock, Celtic punk, country and folk-rock; a top-notch production; and an own sound and identity that makes them different from other French bands and from the heavyweights of the genre. Hats-off!