‘Johnny Was A Motor Mechanic’ brings with it a familiar sound that will be instantly recognisable with its blend of punk, folk, rock, and jazz to what is otherwise straight down the line traditional Irish music. From the album, ‘Mike Kirkpatrick and Drovers Unlimited Orchestra Vol. 3’, it’s a posthumous homage to Kirkpatrick, who sadly died from cancer a few years back.
It’s sad that Kirkpatrick never lived to see this album released. Comprising ten tracks, it sees some of the best musicians from the jazz, Trad Irish, and experimental worlds come together and lay down some licks that could just as easily be a fly-on-the-wall recording of a jam session as an officially recorded release. Opening track, ‘Tomorrow, Pt. 1’, for example, is a very pleasing piece that, while verging on the cacophonic, is nonetheless one that allows each instrumentalist to have their time in the sun. Track 2, ‘The Hidden Track’, reveals itself as a something one might expect to hear an army marching to battle. With uilleann pipes providing a sombre pace, supported by a steady drumbeat (as well as a variety of strings), it’s almost funerary in its pacing.
Our main focus however is track 4, ‘Johnny Was A Meter Mechanic’. Again, the traditional Irish rhythms are there, upbeat and fun, you can almost hear the smiles on the faces of the musicians as they play their hearts out. The fiddle is prominent, and – is that the uilleann pipes again? Maybe a Bodhrán as well? It’s impossible not to tap your feet in time to the music, and, if you close your eyes, imagine this being performed “at the sesh” in a pub down country in Ireland, with the laughs at the end adding to this vibe. Who’s Johnny? What’s a meter mechanic? How does all that have anything to do with this rollicking tune? Who knows or cares – it’s a grand aul bit of craic.
Listen to ‘Johnny Was A Meter Mechanic’ below. You can find out more about The Drovers Unlimited Orchestra and their music online on Spotify and their official website.
