Black 47
New York Town
»
Black 47
New York Town
Gadfly Records, 2004
RiYL: New York, the Pogues |
Nor has he ever hid his love of New York City, Kirwan's adopted hometown. On just about every album, Kirwan at least references the city, sometimes telling the tale of struggling immigrants trying to find work and happiness in the unforgiving city, and at other times simply recounting a broken heart. Throughout his work, New York has been a constant, almost a character in itself.
So it is fitting that Black '47 returns with an album basically dedicated to New York; a record in which New York is not just in the background -- as it is in such Black '47 classics like "On The Banks Of The Hudson," "Road To Ruin," and "Brooklyn Girls." No, on New York Town, New York City IS the album.
And obviously, the record contains its tales of the sorrow and loss that hit the five boroughs on that clear, crisp September day in 2001. Sept. 11 is felt throughout New York Town, but not to the point that it is the focus; it's not. That focus, again, is the concrete, steel and people that make up the city, not the dreadful deeds that ripped at its soul on that perverse day.
While there have been several songs and records written in response to Sept. 11, New York Town stands apart because its story is from the city's point of view. Springsteen's The Rising may be more universal, but New York Town is more honest. It tells tales of heartache, sadness, and depression, yet it also manages to capture the city's resilience and refusal to stand pat or, indeed, change.
Finally, someone has responded to Sept. 11 with the personal reflections and observations that such a terrible event demands. There is no bastardized flag-waving a la Toby Keith, nor any obvious commercialized catering like Paul McCartney's pathetic "Freedom." No, New York Town is a brutally real and searching account, and Kirwan does not play to the lowest common denominator.
In fact, Kirwan is careful not to pander, as on the surprisingly poppy title track, he tears into what he sees as the jingoistic actions the politicians in Washington -- another city hit by the same attackers -- have taken in response. "Too many cowboys, too many martyrs / Too many questions, not enough answers / Was no one lookin' out for us, is that so simplistic / Brothers and sisters all becomin' statistics," Kirwan sings.
While the song "New York Town" focuses solely on the political reverberations of Sept. 11, the rest of the album is centered around the city itself. The following tune, "Orphan Of The Storm," painfully recounts the story of an immigrant who finally got his life on track -- until he got "blown to sweet Jesus / on that grand September day."
The swooning song, the second and final installment on the life of Sean, the hard-luck character from 1994's Home Of The Brave's "American Wake," might be the saddest, if it wasn't for the reflective "Mychal," an ode to Black '47 fan Mychal Judge, a chaplain in the New York Fire Dept. Told from Mychal's point of view, the song is full of grief, yet it captures a forgiving spirit. "I never saw a reason to / Hate someone who thinks different than you / Each one has their anointed place / In the love reflected in their God's face," Kirwan intones.
But rest assured, Black '47 faithful, as New York Town is not all doom and gloom. On "Staten Island Baby," Kirwan -- with a major assist from former New York Dolls frontman David Johansen -- sings a rockabilly comedy about a rockstar who got caught keeping a policeman's daughter out past her curfew. "Everything would've been alright / If I had you home by midnight," Kirwan blurts.
He even borrows from his archive, revamping two songs from Home Of The Brave -- the reggae-saturated "Black Rose" and the remorseful "Blood Wedding" -- as well as Fire Of Freedom's "Livin' In America," an update on a love/hate relationship straight out of the novel "Angela's Ashes."
All of the above are stellar duets, bringing in another central theme of the album. Kirwan and Black '47 may be credited for the record, but with his liberal use of guest artists, Kirwan makes clear that his band is merely providing the vehicle for these stories to be told.
And maybe that's what makes New York Town such a strong effort, definitely the best in Black '47's catalog. The band's other albums have been solid, but each has been marred by Kirwan's penchant for writing songs about his band. From "Rockin' The Bronx" on Fire Of Freedom to latter tunes like "Different Drummer," "Green Suede Shoes" and "Those Saints," all on each of the band's subsequent albums, Kirwan essentially gave an updated account on Black '47's travails to the same programmed drum-machine beat.
But the obligatory nod to his band is missing on New York Town, and the album is so much the better. Instead, the listener is able to soak up the city, its characters, and its resiliency. New York Town achieves a personal empathy few songwriters can achieve, and Kirwan, as well as most New Yorkers, should be proud.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.