Canada’s the Mahones along with the Tossers and the Rogues March are the founders of the Celtic-Punk scene in North America. I remember seeing these guys play a blistering set five or six years ago at the first (and last) annual Cambridge Celtic festival and later that same day the played another great set at the Cambridge House of Blues to a bunch of disinterested liggers who were too interested in looking cool then have a good time at a party for Dan Aykroyd’s (a fan of the band) awful Boston filmed movie “Celtic Pride”.

“Here Comes Lucky” is the Mahones fourth album and while they are still playing that finger blistering “punkier then the Pogues” sound they are famous for, they have like fellow veterans the Rogues March matured (a little) and have worked in a lot more influences then just Shane MacGowan, including the Replacements (Raise Your Hands), Tom Petty (One Last Shot), the Waterboys (Will You Marry Me), the weepie “Miles Apart” and my favorite the Cow punk of “Going Back to Dublin”.

A Great CD with not a bad track to be heard.

October 2001