CD REVIEW - DOOM, GLOOM AND WHISKY - CARROLL MACGREGGOR
By George L. O'Brien
"Doom, Gloom, and Whisky", the second CD by Carroll MacGreggor, has the potential to get the band some major visibility. The CD was recorded at Wormwood Studios in England (which does Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention). Not only does the CD includes backup support from Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention; Carroll MacGreggor have been invited to tour with Fairport Convention during their European tour this coming February. There is already interest being expressed by some major labels.
This is pretty heady stuff for a couple of guys who still have to explain their group is not the name of girl (it comes from a combination of Brian O'Carroll and Greg "Kozy" Kozak). But it is not like they have not "paid their dues." Brian (vocals and guitar) has been part of a number of Irish/Celtic bands over the years including Black Ashling, Celtic Cowboys, Ashling, and Splinter prior to joining up with Kozy (fiddle and mandolin) after playing together in Ashling and Splinter around three years ago. After becoming sponsored by Zeta Instruments, they have toured extensively through out the entire world. They have played at innumerable festivals including the Milwaukee Irish Festival (the largest in the world) and the world famous Telluride Blue Grass festival. Carroll MacGreggor has played at various Irish venues in the Phoenix, but don't get the exposure they deserve because they are out of town so much.
The Carroll MacGreggor style is unique although it has been described as being inspired by Irish folk/rock groups such as Waterboys and Saw Doctors. "Gloom, Doom, and Whisky" is entirely original material (except for one song, "The Ballad of John Malone", which was written by Brian O'Carroll and first recorded by the Celtic Cowboys.) All the songs were written by Brian except for "Redemption" on which Kozy collaborated with Brian. The title of the CD, "Gloom, Doom, and Whisky" reflects the rather dark tone of most of the tracts. Dark in this case refers to the topics such as "you cannot escape from the sound of a gun", a ship going down, being left "stone cold" by a lover, and so on. But dark should not be confused with "dreary". Brian's songs are generally written in minor keys -- but frequently have an upbeat tempo. The result is an edgy yet captivating sound.
Brian's skill a song writer cannot be exaggerated. The lyrics of each song has a story which reflect the tone of the music. Brian manages to express his distinct style while avoiding the common problem of having every song sounding the same. The listener is rewarded for listening closely to each song.
The high quality of the writing is more than matched by the excellent performances by everyone involved in the production. Brian's vocals and Kozy's instrumentals (fiddle and mandolin) are outstanding.
As I mentioned earlier, this could be a breakout CD for Carroll MacGreggor. They deserve it.
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