Sons of Malarkey : Presenting Sons of Malarkey

Review by Roxanne Carpenter     

Sons of Malarkey : Jason Hohl, Josh Curll, Jereb Scott, Dave Battrick and Tatijanna Bourke, offer a special style of spirited music , infectious to audiences enjoying them in pubs and festivals in the NW over the last few years.  When you hear the band in person,  you can’t help but be engaged from the very first note. And so it is with their debut cd. 

A rousing fiddle rollicking through Drowsy Cooley draws us in from the start. It sets the tone for the particular brand of “Malarkey” that the group offers up so exuberantly.   Fresh and rhythmic musical arrangements deliver powerful renditions of traditional songs and original compositions.  Lilting vocals and harmonies are consistently strong on familiar songs like Star of the County Down; Wild Mountain Thyme; and Rare Old Mountain Dew;  and on originals like Great Calm and the foot-stomping and personal favorite, Gone Gone Gone.  

On the Sons of Malarkey website they say:

 “For a few hours each night, we want the audience to feel the happiness we do while we’re playing.”                                                                                                  

Throughout these 14 tracks, they’ve captured that feeling quite well.

Visit Sons of Malarkey on their official site here.

-Roxanne Carpenter is a contributing writer for 67 Music.