Mick Flannery – Mickmas EP Vol. 1
Self Released – 5 December 2018
Sometimes it’s nice to have a little info on the album in question (E.P. in this case), a basic foundation to get a grasp of where the artist is coming from. With Mickmas E.P. Vol. 1, the latest offering from Mick Flannery however, half of the fun is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. (I’m looking at you Morning Meeting!) And for that reason, I’m almost reluctant to continue this review as it’s sure to contain spoilers. On the other hand, with Flannery now well into his second decade of writing, there is a good chance that his songs have now achieved such depth that my interpretation is a completely detached concept to that of the next man. So I shall continue…
One thing everyone should immediately notice is how stripped back the production is. To me that can say one of two things, it either betrays Flannery’s quiet confidence in his craft, or his awareness that the context of some of these numbers may distance him from any chance of mainstream radio, and therefore doesn’t even attempt to go down that road. Whatever the reason, I love the sound. The lyrics and plot of these games songs are so complex, it is so refreshing to not have anything between me (the listener) and the song. I have always thought of Flannery as a good decent songwriter, but these four songs put him in the same boat as Sun Kil Moon and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. I’m not sure if there’s another living Irish songwriter that has the kahunas to write and release these songs.
I’ve got a Darkness is not a song of Mick Flannery’s, but rather that of Nashville native, Casey Black. If you’re wondering why one of Ireland’s best would kick off an E.P. with a cover, the opening lines alone would be enough to lead a moth to the flame…
My Mamma’s mamma,
She drank like a fish
She toasted dying young
She did get her wish.
It’s such a powerful opening and sets the scene for this limited edition E.P. that offers a donation to Pieta House Ireland with each purchase. Pieta does incredible work for people in suicidal distress and who engage in self-harm. Head over to Flannery’s Bandcamp page to buy it.
Fuck off World is a wonderful response to every type of social media message under the sun. And for those of us whose blood pressure is becoming ever more unstable as we wake up to new news of Brexit, Trump and Kim Kardashian’s latest selfies, Fuck Off World may be just the proper prescription to start the day.
Fuck off World
Fuck off Politics
I’m going in the woods with a stick
You really have to get stuck in for yourself and get your hands dirty. The last song Star to Star is available as a single on most digital platforms, and it’s great, but give me this E.P.s recording any day. Mickmas E.P. Vol. 1 also contains Morning Meeting, one of the darkest, dirtiest Christmas songs ever, and I absolutely love it. I hope it doesn’t become a radio hit, for if MacGowan can get persecuted over a few choice words, then Flannery would be in for a seriously tough time of it! The only other thing I’ll say is if someone could check in on Mick Flannery’s Publisher and make sure that he’s alive, that would be great and maybe allow me to sleep a little easier tonight.
By Mick Flannery’s own words, Mickmas E.P. Vol 1 may have been a little too tongue in cheek to be considered album material. But thank goodness they found a home, as to me it really places him into a select group of Irish songwriters that you could probably count on one hand.
https://mickflannery.bandcamp.com/album/mickmas-ep-vol-1