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JFH Music Review




Flatfoot 56
Jungle Of The Midwest Sea



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 14 tracks: 39 minutes, 56 seconds
Street Date: May 15, 2007


An Irishman walks into a punk club with a mandolin. Generally this sort of statement is followed by off-color cultural references, some dissembling, and finally a punch line something like, "That's not my mandolin, it's a rabbit!" After which, no one laughs and there's some awkward moments before someone finally just turns the music up and hopes the joke-teller will go away. Flatfoot 56 has a released their sophomore project, and that's no joke. Chicago's own Celtic punk ensemble caught me completely off guard by putting out a record with a sound I absolutely loved.

Jungle of the Midwest Sea is a 14-track, boot-stomping, fist-pumping, pit-moshing Irish sing-a-long McStravaganza that gets the olde blood a-flowing. Fans of the Dropkick Murphys and similar Celt-punk bands will definitely appreciate the loud uproarious heartiness of this style of music. It blends your standard 3- and 4- chord punk songs with snappy rhythms and traditional instruments like the mandolin, bagpipes, Irish whistles, and of all things, a bouzouki. This music is meant to be about brotherhood and is full of real heart and vigor; each song is inspired and meaningful, drawing from the lads' experiences growing up in Chicago, Bible stories like Cain's murder of Abel, the parable of the sower, and the story of Stephen.

"The Galley Slave" opens the album with a head-bobbing tune about a slave rowing a boat in bondage for being a Christian, a powerful song with a great melody that's really just an intro. It flows nicely into the first three jump-up-and-down songs, of which "City On A Hill" really stands out as a grave warning to posers, in a spiritual sense (Have I mentioned you can mosh to all of the above?). "Hoity Toity" mixes a fun reeling rhythm with some more serious words about being true to yourself. The final cut, "Same Ol' Story" lulls everything to a calm with something that sounds like a Southern Baptist hymn.

Some might say that Jungle of the Midwest Sea is too repetitive, with little variety of style, but it's a short album, it's a punk album, and it's made no claims to musical virtuosity or to being the Great New Thing. It's meant to be taken like one big deep breath, all at once, all or nothing. The Celtic sound gives it a gravity as well as a joviality and lends to it the weight of all the Irish sentiment and ennui that parallels everything punk music has always been about.

Having said that, not everyone is going to like this. This is likely one of those 'love it or hate it' albums for most people. I for one and am a fan of both punk music and Irish traditional music, and I found this album to be a very enjoyable listen. It's energizing, it's uplifting, it's got a lot to say in a short time without beating you over the head with pontifical proselytizing (which is a fancy way of saying it ain't preachy.)

So don your scally caps, raise your voices, and lift your pints* and enjoy Jungle of the Midwest Sea. It's got a quality of fun, rock, and spirituality that doesn't come along very often in the harder side of Christian music.

- Review date: 5/17/07, written by Sean Lex

*of milk



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. Record Label: Flicker Records
. Album length: 14 tracks: 39 minutes, 56 seconds
. Street Date: May 15, 2007
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. The Galley Slave
  2. Carry 'Em Out
  3. Loaded Gun
  4. City On A Hill
  5. Bright City
  6. Hoity Toity
  7. Pay Me A Dollar
  8. Chinatown Jail Break
  9. Warriors
  10. Cain
  11. Ollie Ollie
  12. Standin' For Nothing
  13. Jungle Of The Midwest Sea
  14. Same Ol' Story
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This Friday, October 17, 2025
ALBUMS
ANTHNY DIARY ENTRY 1 [Provident]
AOH Music BEHOLD (Acoustic Live), Vol. 1 (independent)
Blanca Full Bloom [Curb]
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas [Gaither]
Geoff Moore and The Distance Foundations (Re-Release) [Girder]
Geoff Moore and The Distance A Place To Stand (Re-Release) [Girder]
Vince Gill 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had - EP [UMG]
Nate Parrish Make Me A Mountain (independent)
Psallos The New and Better Way: Hymns of Hebrews (independent)
Anne Wilson Stars [Capitol CMG]
Megan Woods The Truth EP [Fair Trade]

SINGLES
Elevation Worship Jesus Be The Name - Single [Provident]
F'rael God's Wheel (ft. TRYBISHOP) - Single [Syntax]
Brandon Lake When A Cowboy Prays (Amazon Music Songline) - Single [Provident]
LEON Undefeated - Single [El Rescate Music]
No Vain Glory UNLEADED - Single [Syntax]
Park 7 The Hope Is On The Way - Single (independent)
Rave Jesus & Gracie Binion Need Your Love - Single [Provident]
REFVGE, Cyfë II & WAY? U P W A R D S ft. Bianca Silver & Josh LeCroy - Single [Syntax]
Rhymes In Harmony & MAYIA My Sister - Single [Syntax]
Rock City Worship Gravestone - Single [Capitol CMG]
Anton Scholl Born To Love You - Single [Near Kingdom]
Nathan Sheridan Don't Lose Hope - Single [WieRok]
SNT. VINCENT Feast of the Saints - Single [Syntax]
Vertical Kings Faith In Stereo - Single [Covenant]
Vic Lucas, Essence Natay & Ashleey Barnes Let it Rain - Single [Syntax]
Zane Vickery All Things New - Single (independent)
Aaron Williams Abide (feat. CAIN) - Single [Integrity]

DVD
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, October 24, 2025
ALBUMS
John Allan untitled EP [Centricity]
Dan Bremnes The Villain - EP [Curb]
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]
God Behind Bars Music Live From Angola Prison Vol. 1 [Provident]
Fepeste This World Ain't Mine to Change [Velvet Blue]
gio. FINE BY ME [Capitol CMG]
Brandon Lake Amazon Music Songline [Provident]
Tyson Motsenbocker Modern Worries [Tooth & Nail]
Smalltown Poets St. Augustine (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Rediscovery [Bethel]

SINGLES
29:11 Worship, Zion Rempel You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Joe L Barnes Grief, Joy, Gratitude - Single [Provident]
Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love (Remix) - Single [DREAM]
Leanna Crawford Beginning Of Your Grace - Single [Provident]
darthy Juniper Tree - Single [WieRok]
Emerson Day Midnight Hour - Single [Fair Trade]
Good Weather Forecast lows2highs - Single [DREAM]
Grace + Max Rich - Single [WieRok]
Mercy Tribe Music The King is in the Room (feat. Ayiesha Woods) - Single (independent)
Mountains in the Sea You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Seph Schlueter Already On The Way (feat. Benjamin William Hastings) - Single [Provident]
Tomb Slayer The Christmas Lamb (feat. Khristian Dentley & Sarah Whittemore) - Single [Tomb Slayer]
The Undertaking! All Smiles - Single (independent)

VINYL
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]


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