In an effort to rid themselves of incessant
Pogues
comparisons, the
Mahones
enlisted the production services of
Tragically Hip
drummer
Johnny Fay
. He drew from this band a more consistently muscular sound without sacrificing their penchant for Irish-influenced music. Chief songwriter and lead vocalist
Finny McConnell
broadened his scope of writing in songs like the
Tom Waits
-inflected
"Cocktail Blue,"
and the zany
"Shake Hands with the Devil,"
indicate.However, one cannot listen to
"Jimmy Claibourne"
without imagining a less-inebriated
Shane MacGowan
singing. While
Draggin' the Days
and
Rise Again
concentrated almost solely on Irish-themed music,
The Hellfire Club Sessions
experiments with acoustic
rock
, blues
and subtle touches of
country
music. This album would mark the beginning of a stylistic shift for the
which would manifest itself more clearly on 2001's
Here Comes Lucky
. ~ Dave Sleger