Hot Press Tracks of the Day: No nonsense 'celtgrass' from Mules & Men

The group’s first album features 11 original compositions that tell of a more rock 'n roll spirit than of hay-chewing, law-abiding country folk.

Several of the tracks have already become favourites with Irish DJs such as John Creedon, Niall Toner and Charlie McGettigan, and have been featured on stations across the country.

The band describe their genre as 'Acid-Celtgrass' - a 'shake-up' of the more traditional and conservative Bluegrass with its almost compulsory themes of shack-living, girl-leaving blues. Mules & Men are 'modernisers' - using the fast pace of banjo-driven tunes and combining that with a rock 'n roll sensibility, akin to some of the earlier work of Grateful Dead.

The album kicks off with the powerful 'Procrastination Blues' - a celebration of lethargy, for lazy bastards everywhere. A lovely bit of sloth condensed into a frenetic tune with driving banjo, feverish mandolin and some wild fiddling. Mama, don't you love me anymore' is another powerful track, charting the perceived waning of maternal love, while 'Jump Right In' is as traditional a bluegrass song as you will get.

Eight other original tracks - including the Lily Sheehan penned 'Meet me in the Morning' - demonstrate the song-writing ability of this band and its versatility.

At its heart, this an album packed with diverse songs, quick turns of phrases, and a story-teller's knack for drawing in a listener.

Give Thinking Sideways a spin here:

Thinking Sideways, by Mules & Men

Mules & Men Mules & Men are practitioners of the Acid-Celtgrass scene. Bound together by a shared love of folk, bluegrass and psychedelia, Mules and Men have been reinterpreting these classic sounds into a unique and contemporary style of their own. Thinking Sideways, released 16 November 2018 1. Procrastination Blues 2.