A slow, painful death to bands that take themselves too seriously. Certainly, Irish band The Eskies could never be accused of that, as anyone who has witnessed their gigs can testify.
Transferring the good vibes (alcohol-enhanced or not) of a barnstorming live performance onto a debut album is a stumbling block for any band.
And yet After the Sherry Went Round works its spell for the duration; the majority of the songs may be locked into the kind of restricted musical strain you'd expect from a band in thrall to Gogol Bordello, Brecht/Weill and latter-day Tom Waits, but songs such as When the Storm Came, Tear Along the Line, Down by the River, Jesus Don't Save Me and Wild, Wild Heart have enough inherent energy to charge a power plant.
Electricity providers take note.
