Man, this really motors along. Here in the UK, we would call this folk-punk, in the US, perhaps alt-country, but whatever you call it, there’s generally a guy with a beard, an acoustic guitar, and a lumberjack shirt on the other end of it. Then again, some of the finest people I know fit such a description.
Sitting somewhere between The Pogues celtic…well, London-Irish, but let’s not pull at that thread, soul and Flogging Molly’s more punk-infused sound, “God Bless” is a song full of heart and humour, it is fun and frenzied, melodic and muscular and thanks to the great use of breezy brass, reminds me of the soul-folk-punk-rock blend of bands like Danny and the Champions of the World, not a bad point of reference to have levelled at you, if you ask me.
The song is taken from St Nick the Lesser’s album _Growing Up, Growing Out _, a musically eclectic and generally speaking lyrically more serious collection of songs; the satirical and anthemic nature of “God Bless” acting as a bit of a light-hearted moment amongst more considered content.
But no matter what subject Nick asks us to consider, optimism and the promise of a silver lining are ever present, even in his more serious songs. Somewhere along the line, the term “hope-core” got attached to his music, and as a soundbite and tagline for what he does, I can’t think of anything better.
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