• The Land, The Bread, and the People review by Cory C. Engel from CelticChristianTunes.com
• The Land, The Bread, and the People review by Josh Spencer from The Phantom Tollbooth
• The Land, The Bread, and the People review by Steven S. Baldwin from The Phantom Tollbooth
• The Land, The Bread, and the People review by Shari Lloyd from The Phantom Tollbooth
• Out of the Fertile Crescent review by Steven Stuart Baldwin from The Phantom Tollbooth

From the speed bodhran of "Tale of the Ballydowse" to "Redhands," which is vaguely reminiscent of early Undercover on steroids, this disc was a bit of a surprise. Even though I have long enjoyed Celtic rock, I listened to The Land for a solid week before writing this review. There's a lot in there. The Chicago Reader, who honored Ballydowse in their "Spot Check" pick of the week column, described this debuting band as "Celtic crunch punk." I can't think of a better description.

A few choice cuts are "Bud Morris," "Lucrece," "The Banshee Song," "Bleak," and the title track.

Bud Morris - Ironically based on a traditional drinking song, this tune rails against alcohol "and like products" and the methods used to market them to society. Of the songs on this disc, this will probably be one of the most appreciated by the more musically conservative.

the lads and me have had enough
we're sitting this one out
I woudn't disgrace my spit mixing with your corporate stout

Lucrece - The clear vocals of Robina Mandell in this tune contrast with most of the rest of the disc, which pretty much requires a first-time listener to follow along with the lyric sheet to fully appreciate. I look forward to more vocal work from Robina in the future.

The Banshee Song - Features The Crossing's Tony Krogh's rockin' uilleann and highland backpipes backed by crunching guitars and didgeridoo. This song tells the story of the death-dealing banshee as a tool of the Lord's vengeance:

I saw the banshee in the houses of power
she was beautiful beyond all belief
this time she came for the heartless killers
and no one found any grief
...
nothing's forgotten and
nothing's overlooked
the eye of God never sleeps

"The Banshee Song" is a definite high point of the album.

Bleak - Tune on the far edge of depression that points to hope that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

I pity and I mourn myself along, I hold my wake again
and all the while beside of me life waits for my return
...
Looking out through the grey haze I see the other side
The wondrous silhouettes must mean some fair light is there behind

The Land, The Bread, and the People - This lyrical gem carries perhaps the clearest message on the disc. In true Jesus People U.S.A. fashion, it drives home with force the images of hungry innocents in need, and the responsibility of the Elect to act:

I am my brother's keeper and that I'll always be.
I'll not turn my back be he stranger or blood
and embrace a life of greed.
I am my sister's keeper and that I've always been.
Every day I've left her out in the streets
I've turned Christ out again.

Credit for production is given to "no one in particular." Unfortunately on a couple of tracks it shows a bit in the form of lost vocals, but that shouldn't dissuade Celtic rockers from picking up this prime disc. Expect more great tunes from this JPUSA group.

Give The Land, The Bread, and the People a listen, either at your local music store's listening stations, or at Grrr Records' website.

--Cory C. Engel, CelticChristianTunes.com

I've been waiting for this album since 1990, which is when I first heard "Bloody Lane" on Crashdog's first album, a song (written by Glenn Kaiser) that paired Crashdog's '80s punk with Scottish bagpipes. The combo of those two earthy musics struck a chord that I've been dying to have plucked again ever since.

Now, almost a full decade later...Ballydowse. More than just punk-with-bagpipes, Brian Grover and Andrew Mandell of Crashdog have pulled out a big bag of Irish, East European Jewish folk, and Aboriginal sounds and strewn them across their foundation of Oi!-influenced street-punk, to make for one heckuva unique rock album. The loose and scrappy guitars, more rock but still resonating with Crashdog's boot-stomping attitude, mix beautifully with a mish-mash of Celtic, Klezmer, and Australian Aborigine instruments that include mandolin, bodhran, moohran, percussion, violin, didgeridoo, bullroarer, and whirligig. And the vocals! Everything from solos to two and three-part group singing to passionate gang shouts, with the wavering-with-emotion sandpapery singing by Andrew and clear pseudo-Celtic tones from his wife Robin being most characteristic of Ballydowse's sound.

Eight members make up the band (and supposedly one killer live show), but guests like Tony Krogh (pipes; The Crossing), Bryan Gray (bass & guitar; Left Out, The Blamed, etc.), and Brian Moss ("Uptown Tibetan throat singing") make the total eleven. Needless to say with such a large band, making money is not one of Ballydowse's motivations. Their music is made to convict and awaken.

Everything about The Land, the Bread, and the People--from the packaging to the artwork and the songwriting--gives glory to God by virtue of its surpassing excellence. Surprisingly (since Steve Albini recorded), only the production falls a bit short. There's a dirtiness that suits the music but keeps your nose in the lyrics booklet half the time because of hard-to-hear vocals. That's actually a blessing, though, because the lyrics are meaty poetry that beg for contemplation. For example, "Bleak":

Looking out through the grey haze I see the other side
The wondrous silhouettes must mean
some fair light is there behind
so no matter the length or dark of the night
till dawn I can hold
then I will dance through the rays and breathe in the hope
and open up my soul

I can't get enough of rich word tapestries like these! The gang vocals on songs like "Walkin' On" are doubly invigorating and powerful as they shout out what sounds like words of rebuke for lukewarm Christians:

We're walking on and we won't wait
for you to suss what we're gonna do.
Debating inaction but it's too late,
hands to the plow and we ain't turning back.
Left you standing at the crossroads,
you're the solution but you are stuck on hold.
The world we change is the world we touch,
Never do nothing if you talk too much.

The Jesus People USA community life of self-denial and love that the members of Ballydowse have chosen to live shines brightly through their songs and music. My heart and soul swells every time I listen to the album. It's the song of the clan which is my own, a band of pilgrims following the light through dark lands, holding each other up and lifting the fallen by the roadside as they pass, voices chanting together the songs of the journey's joy and struggle.

Rated 4.5 out of 5

--Review by Josh Spencer from The Phantom Tollbooth, republished with permission.

Whoa Nellie! Did you hear the rumor that JPUSA moved the Blarney Stone to Chicago? Probably not true, but it's curious that this small, devoted community of faithful American Christians are so fascinated with the music of the Green Isle that they now sport two bands with a distinctively Irish sound. The Crossing was the first, and far and away the more traditional of the two. The latest is Ballydowse and features founding members of Grrr Record's punk band Crashdog. Consequently, The Land, The Bread, and the People is a bit like Crashdog meets The Crossing, or even a punked-out version of Black 47, where both Irish and Scottish sensibilities are hopped up to electrifying speeds via gritty rock channels. And that's before you consider their musical excursions to Israel and the Australian outback. Literate, intelligent, and inspirational lyrics are delivered in a high-octane manner inspiring hearty jig moshing. Thoroughly unique and energized, this is another kind of rock worth a welcoming kiss.

Rated 4.5 out of 5

--Review by Steven S. Baldwin from The Phantom Tollbooth, republished with permission.

One of the most original albums to hit the CCM market since Burlap to Cashmere. This is an amazing clash of Celtic meeting punk. With a wide range of Celtic and Australian Aborigine instruments that include mandolin, bodhran, moohran, percussion, violin, didgeridoo, bullroarer, and whirligig this group not only manages to carry this off on the album but are even better live. The only drawback to this release is that the music is so varied you need to work at getting into all the diversity found here.

Rated 4.5 out of 5

--Review by Shari Lloyd from The Phantom Tollbooth, republished with permission.

Out of the Fertile Crescent

Indubitably Ballydowse's eclectic brand of music is an acquired taste, but not nearly so difficult to acquire as it might at first seem. However, a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their pitch session to a major corporate music executive illuminates the difficulty of their unique situation. The top-secret transcript of that first pitch session follows:

Ballydowse: Hi. Thanks so much for your willingness to meet with us.

Executive: You're most welcome. Who are you again?

Ballydowse: Ballydowse.

Executive: Bless you.

Ballydowse: I wasn't sneezing.

Executive: Whatever. Look, my time is short. Let's cut to the chase. What's your band all about?

Ballydowse: Okay, well, I use to front this Christian punk band called Crashdog, and....

Executive: Christian punk? Isn't that an oxymoron?

Ballydowse: No more so than a compassionate major music corporation.

Executive: Was that a jibe?

Ballydowse: No, just a personal opinion. Maybe a foreshadowing. Take your pick. Anyway, I use to sing lead for Crashdog, and I was living in a close knit community with some good mandolin-playing friends of mine who have this really cool Celtic folk band. And we got together one night over coffee, because we don't drink alcohol, and thought it would be really cool if we joined forces and formed a new band. So we're sort of a Celtic punk folk band.

Executive: That's interesting. Celtic punk. I kinda like the sound of that. Sort of like Clannad meets The Clash. You know the Celtic and punk scenes have been kinda big the last few years. I haven't heard of anyone really bridging the gap between them. I'm not sure it's a good idea, frankly. But it's really interesting. Yeah. Okay, I'm with you.

Ballydowse: Oh, it gets better. We also knew this highland pipe player, so I suppose you could say we have both an Irish and Scottish vibe undergirding our music.

Executive: That's great. Bag pipes and big guitars. Sort of like an aggressive Big Country for the 21st Century. I can dig this.

Ballydowse: Well, we also signed up some friends who play traditional aboriginal instruments like the didgeridoo and the bodhran.

Executive: Is that why that guy has a bone through his nose? Can I touch it?

Ballydowse: I don't recommend it.

Executive: Okay.

Ballydowse: So we all got together to gig, and found out that more than a few of us really enjoyed the writings of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and listening to Klezmer and Oi music like Di Naye Kapelye. We had a violin player, so jumping into Oi was a joyful little leap for us. Not to mention our pal Brian who really rocks with his Tibetan throat singing.

Executive: Whoa. Slow down. You've lost me with the whole Yiddish thing.

Ballydowse: To be honest, you kinda just have to hear it. I think it's a fair estimation to say we have a pretty unique sound. It's both melodic and anthemic. We generally mix things up by going from quiet and thoughtful to really loud, fast and enthusiastic, but always with a nice melody you can yell along to. The best part, of course, is that we take our energetic sound and use it to rail against the various spiritual, political and social injustices in the world today. For example, we are very passionate about the plight of the Iraqi's suffering under unfair economic sanctions, as well as support of the Kosovo and Sierra Leone relief efforts, to name a few.

Executive: (Blank stare...jaw dropped open.)

Ballydowse: Excuse me, sir? Are you okay? You look a little pale.

Executive: You people are positively nuts! You're Bally hooey...whatever you call it...will never float! You'll never sell a single record! Not one, you hear me! You are so wasting my time. Get out of my office! And don't call us again.

Ballydowse: Alright, well, thanks for your time.

Gratefully, Ballydowse survived their pitch session, and went on to sell plenty of records through Grrr. The new album, Out of the Fertile Crescent builds on everything that worked on their first album, The Land, The Bread & The People and either continues in their own unique potpourri of established musical traditions or improves upon them. Don't let those cocky corporate music execs keep you from quality music. Let's prove them dead wrong, join the revolution, and turn the world upside down. A double dose of Ballydowse is a great place to start to get your motor running, heart pounding, brain thinking, and spirit soaring.

Rated 4 out of 5