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 THE
TOWN PANTS- Weight of Words (Site)
The first time I listened to this CD, I dropped it into my kitchen CD
player and sat down to do my real, money paying job. As I worked, The Town
Pants playing in the background brought me from the land of Oracle to a
quaint lil’ pub in some small Ireland town sipping Guinness and tossing
stories back and forth with other drunkards. Kicking off the disc is the
magnificent “Weight of Words,” a Celtic infused tune loaded with the
grit found in yesteryear’s Australian bandits. That sound fuels the
disc, which is intensely melodic with tradition Irish arrangements while
having a nice folk punch to keep you on your toes. The song’s lyrics sing of
friendship, mischief, and the occasional drink or two. Brothers Duane and
Dave Keogh front the band, with Duane handling vocals and guitar while
Dave plucks that banjo and mandolin like a madman. Aaron Chapman (one of
the original Real McKenzies) makes all those noises that seals the sound
of Irish influenced music; tin whistle, etc. The amazing Virginia
Schwartz, who shines in “Diggin’ the Grave,” brings it all together
with her fiddle playing and has influenced my five year old daughter to
pick up the fiddle. On the toe tapping side of things, “Rum Runner”
hits close to my heart because my Great Grandfather was a bootlegger/rum
runner during U.S. prohibition and my Grandmother, then young child, was
schooled on what to do with the booze if the boys in blue reared their
ugly heads. “Old Vancouver Town” is packed with good ol’ times of
drinking, fighting, and just might send you out for a pint at your local
pub. Surprisingly, “Ships Made of Wood” strums with a Mariachi guitar
and horns reminiscent of my sunburned hell vacation in Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, The Town Pants will certainly fool
you of their geographical residency. Weight of Words is a CD that
will please the ears of sons, daughter, mothers, fathers, and grandparents
alike! – Denis Sheehan
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