Bring Yer Wellies by Gaelic Storm

Bring Yer Wellies is Gaelic Storm's sixth album which was released in 2006. I don't believe it to be their best album, it does contain a few gems such as "Scalliwag", "Me and the Moon," and the "Long Way Home." If you are a fan you won't be disappointed, but if you are just looking to try this band out for the first time, then I would suggest starting with Tree, it has always been my favorite album.

Gaelic Storm is a fun loving, energetic group who specializes in traditional Irish or Gaelic music featuring instruments such as the bodhran, bouzouki, and spoons. Six members make up the band including the three founding members: Patrick Murphy (vocals, piano, accordion, spoons and harmonica); Steve Wehmeyer (bodhran, vocals, didgeridoo); Steve Twigger (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki). The other members include Ryan Lacey on drums and world percussion; Ellery Klein on fiddle; and Pete Purvis on uillean pipes, tin whistle, daeger pipes and highland pipes. Some of the songs they write and arranger themselves and others are traditional Irish pieces. If you can you should see these guys live, they have an infectious energy and they are quite funny.
Now forBring Yer Wellies:

1. Scalliwag (Twigger and Murphy) -This is a fast paced song, showing off how fast Patrick can sing. Reminds me a bit of beggarman from Tree. Has a good percussion rhythm that seems to overwhelm the rest of the instrumentals like guitar but gives the song a gypsy air, which is good because this song is all about running away with the gypsies or traveling shows.

2. Me and the Moon (Twigger)-This is a fun drinking song," . . .me and the moon stayed up all night, I brought the whiskey and he brought the light. ." it has catchy fun lyrics. Features clapping, harmonica, percussion, fiddle, and guitar.

3. Never Drink 'Em Dry: Johnny Tarr's Funeral (Murphy, Wehmeyer, and Twigger)-This is a follow up song to Gaelic Storm's Johnny Tarr song from the Tree album. Johnny Tarr is a cute little story/ballad piece about a guy who could drink a bar dry who dies from "thirst." Never Drink 'Em Dry is the second part of the story. It is all about trying to bury Johnny. It is quite humorous and light-hearted but not as good as the original. Has a nice bouncy melody featuring guitar, bodhran, and accordion.

4. The Devil Down Below (Twigger)-This is a whaling song. Features didgeridoo pipes, fiddle, percussion and some good vocal harmony. Has a good measured beat, makes you want to tap you toes. Good song.

5. Dia Luain, de Mairt (Murphy, Twigger arrangement with Traditional Lyrics)-This is nice, happy dancing tune. It features the bodhran, and tin whistle. Unfortunately, its in Gaelic so I have no idea what the song is about.

6. Bare in the Basin (Purvis)-This selection is an instrumental piece that consists of three pieces: Rascals, Sweetness and Lady Luck. Has Percussion and features the daeger pipes and fiddle. I don't like this instrumental piece as well as some they have done. It is sort of dull for them. I like The Schooner Lake Set (for a pipes piece) off of the album Special Reserve better.

7. Kelly's Wellies (Murphy, Wehmeyer, and Twigger)-ballad/story song about a poor but good-hearted fellow, who I suppose had no money to buy shoes so he wore his wellies (Wellies are waterproof and are most often made from rubber or a synthetic equivalent. They are usually worn when walking on very wet or muddy ground, or to protect the wearer from industrial chemicals. They are generally just below knee-high.) everywhere. Light hearted music, tin whistle, fiddle, and percussion. It's a fun song.

8. Slingshot (Traditional)-Another instrumental piece combination (Scotch Mary, The Broken Pledge, and My Love is in America)-beautiful fiddle piece. Sort of what you think of when you think traditional Irish instrumental.

9. Hello Monday (Twigger)-this is another living for the weekend song. Sounds like accordion, pipes and guitar. Its slow/ballady except for the chorus which runs at a much higher tempo, to me the two pieces of music don't seem to go together and I don't care so much for the lyrics either (I foresee hitting the skip button often on this track).

10. The Long Way Home (Twigger)-This is a "what if" song. The narrator is missing something or someone in his life and wondering what happiness would be like. And remembering the good times. Pretty and touching ballad. ". . .Sometimes I take the long way home I walk down to the sea. I look out across the water and remember how it used to be. . ." (chorus) It seems very real and sad. Features percussion, fiddle, guitar, I hear the pipes in the back. One of my favorites of this album.

11. The Salt Lick (Traditional)-Another instrumental combination (Tripping up the Stairs, Gravel Walk, Heating up the Furnace). Nice bagpipes and fiddle with guitar and percussion in the background. Bit of a jig where the bagpipes and fiddle follow each other-percussion becomes more prominent about half way through and I believe I hear the didgeridoo in there as well. Nice piece.

12. Don't Go For "the One" (Twigger and Murphy)-This is an interesting piece. It's a song adapted from a joke that Patrick traditional tells at the shows which is rather funny-but I am not sure it makes all that great of a song. Its about a guy who supposed to go get snails for tea but runs into a buddy and they go for "the one" beer, but he ends up drinking several hours away and being late for tea. Upon running home he trips and drops the bag of snails and when he wife comes out and asks why he is late he acts as if he as herded the snails all the way home from the shop. It's funnier as a joke than a song. But interesting idea.

13. Tornado Alley (Traditional)-Another nice fiddle and tin whistle jig consisting of three pieces Farewell to Connaught, Paddy O'Rafferty's and Whelan's Jig. I love a good tin whistle counterpoint to fiddle in a jig. Very nice piece.

14. Kiss Me I'm Irish (Twigger, Murphy, Wehmeyer and Reid)-Sort of a catch all for every Irish stereotype I have ever heard and they seem proud of them all. Nice sing along song-has that sing songy type of melody. Percussion, fiddle and guitar. . . ."Kiss me I'm Irish/ I am the wild rover/ My eyes they are smiling/ And I'm seldom sober/ I like my whiskey/ And I like to dance/ So if you're feeling as luck as me take chance . . . / And kiss me I'm Irish (chorus). Gets kind of jig-like at the end with whistle and fiddle. I kind of like it. It's a nice one to end on.

Overall I like this album, it has a few I'll listen to in rotation, couple I will skip, and a few I will put on my favorites list. The boys once again turn out an album that does not disappoint. Give 'em a try.