REVIEW: The Ramshackle Army – ‘The Road Less Travelled’

February 27th, 2014

Brenton Harris

Artist: The Ramshackle Army
Album: The Road Less Travelled
Genre: Celtic-Punk

It’s no secret that despite its natural beauty and status as the world’s most livable city, Melbourne, Australia and indeed Australia as a nation, has a rather dark and sordid, yet fascinating past. Originally ‘settled’ as a penal colony by the British in order to resolve overcrowding of prisons in the motherland, ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ as it was then known, has grown from these humble beginnings to establish itself as a modern multicultural society that provides its citizens with a wonderful standard of life. Much of that early growth was done on the back of Irish free-settlers and pardoned convicts, who toiled hard amidst an unforgiving and unfamiliar environment to etch out their own little piece of paradise. The end result of this presence is that much of Australia’s early folklore is made up of tales of these Irish lads and lasses and their endless struggles to overcome the obstacles of the brave new world. It really does make for enthralling reading, but more importantly it makes for some pretty good source material for some riotous Celtic-Punk!

The Road Less Travelled, the debut full-length by emerging Melbourne Celtic-Punk upstarts The Ramshackle Army, takes full advantage of this colourful past, merging local folklore with tales of modern struggle with their unique blend of Celtic-Punk/Folk punk to create an engaging, energetic, and above all else, entertaining listening experience. Led boldly from the front by the tuneful snarl of vocalist Gaz, The Ramshackle Army meld guitar, fiddle, bass, drums, banjo and mandolin into eleven tracks of the finest Celtic-Punk the island continent has to offer. A festive and fun-filled journey down The Road Less Travelled, the album grabs your attention from the get-go with the triumphant ode to the seafarer’s life in “Anchors Aweigh,” a fast-paced slice of Celtic-Punk that serves as an ideal introduction to the band’s sound. “Anchors Aweigh” is followed in quick succession by live favourite “Coffin and Copper,” an uplifting anthem that tells the tale of a miner setting off to find his fortune amidst the height of Victoria’s gold-rush. A swashbuckling tune with an insanely addictive chorus, “Coffin and Copper” will have you chanting along in triumph by the time the second chorus drops and should ensure that your spirits are high (or perhaps held high as this album is arguably best enjoyed with drink in hand) for the remainder of the album.

The dynamic one-two punch of “Boilermaker” and “Road Less Travelled” follow, with both tracks featuring strong choruses and inventive use of guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin to keep the feeling of fun and frivolity alive, while at the same time bringing enough depth to further the album’s narrative. The excellent “Broken Town” marks the midway point of the album, and the less frantic delivery of the verses provides the perfect opportunity to gather your breath and appreciate the musicality that is on display here. As the axe-work of Nath blends beautifully with Kat’s fiddle, Josh’s mandolin and banjo and the jig-inducing rhythms of bassist Jig and drummer Ash, the trilogy of “Lock Down,” “Broken White Lines” and “Drink It Dry” make it hard to stop your feet from tapping along feverishly. At this point, the band would be forgiven for taking a breather, but as the intro of “Skin Will Burn” gives way to its frenetic chorus it becomes quickly apparent that they have no such intention. Instead, Gaz and his merry band fire on all cylinders and will have many listeners searching for their nearest circle pit.

Penultimate track, the reflective “Signs of Rain,” provides a brief respite, with its more subdued and somber tone reminding you that while these songs are triumphant in tone, many have their origins in tales of great hardship. As if to highlight this juxtaposition the band chooses to finish The Road Less Travelled with the harrowing, yet undeniably festive tail of a drunkard’s life with “One Tree Hill.” A fantastic choice of finisher, “One Tree Hill” is perhaps the perfect combination of all of the band’s elements, with every member given the chance to shine, the track ensures that the listener finishes off their journey on a high.

While admittedly same-ish at times, as seems par for the course for the genre, The Road Less Travelled is an accomplished debut by one of Australian punk-rock’s hardest working and most respected new acts. It’s an album that is undoubtedly best enjoyed with a drink in hand and big night planned, but bottles enough passion and energy to make even a Monday morning commute seem less bland.

SCORE: 8/10 pints of Fosters

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