The Popes feat. Shane MacGowan - Outlaw Heaven

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The Popes feat. Shane MacGowan - Outlaw Heaven

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Outlaw Heaven is the new album by The Popes, featuring legendary Pogues singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan. MacGowan formed The Popes to record his album The Snake in 1994 after leaving The Pogues. Following the sad death of Popes banjo god Tommy McManamon at the end of 2006, Paul (Mad Dog) McGuinness–on vocals, guitar and songwriting duties–reformed The Popes with a new line up of fantastic and experienced musicians; drummer Will Morrisson (Here be Dragons, Lisa Knapp), guitarist/producer Charle Hoskins (Lisa Knapp, Badly Mixed Bastards), Laurie Norwood on bass, Ben Gunnery on fiddle and FIiachra Shanks on banjo, mandolin, guitars and vocals. Outlaw Heaven showcases some of the band's most exciting and brilliant material to date. Old friend Shane MacGowan guests on the title track (along with fellow Pogue Spider Stacy), "Black is the Colour"and "Bastards", and puts in a special solo performance on "The Loneliness of a Long Distance Drinker". [Amazon-UK]

If this is Heaven, I'm not afraid to die!

All thirteen tracks on this new album exude undeniable passion in their telling of tales of love, hate and optimism. Shane MacGowan's and Spider Stacy's guest appearances will appeal to fans of The Pogues, but this is a collection of songs that takes the contemporary Irish rock genre to new heights, whilst still retaining the Celtic roots evident on their previous release; the critically acclaimed 'Holloway Boulevard'. Both are highly recommended additions to anyone's music collection. [Amazon-UK user review]

Coming from the shadows of their mentor.

The Popes are a band I am aware of firstly as the backing band to Shane MacGowans post Pogues albums and also as a band in their own right, i managed to catch them touring the Hollyway Boulevard album at Shrewsbury some years back and although musically tight I couldn't help but miss Shane's input.

Holloway Boulevard itself was a credible album but compared to 'the snake' or 'Crock of gold' it didn't really move me, This album however is a totally different beast.
The fact it says features Shane MacGowan might help with the visibility of the album but to be honest they seem to have moved beyond Shane's involvement and in reality with the exception of the final track he is confined to lending backing vocals.

What really stands out is the bands own growth vocals are superb, celtic influences abound and yet in many respects this is Folk Rock with the emphasis on Rock.
Towards the albums end it even seems that the crunching guitars could give rise to a kind of industrial folk rock such is the guitar power which for all this doesn't overshadow the fine songs on this collection.

Shane's involvement is therefore only a bonus this is purely and simply a great collection of anthemic songs which personally I look forward to seeing live.
With form like this I can only hope a follow up isn't too long in the offing. [Amazon.co.uk user review]