It’s very difficult to pull off “Irish” music with any degree of authenticity, if you’re not right off the boat. MANY American bands try, and fail. The emphasis is usually on alcohol and having an accent that sounds like a pirate, and the overall sound of the band is either a ripoff of the Pogues or Flogging Molly. Enter Wild Colonial Bhoys… They aren’t from Ireland. Nor do they claim to be. But with their latest album, Irish in America, they have forged their own unique sound within the genre of contemporary Irish/Celtic music. Comprised of an American and a Canadian, the Wild Colonial Bhoys have been a powerhouse on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Irish music scene since they formed in late 2003. Named for three things: their upbeat sound, their roots, and Glasgow Celtic Football Club, the Bhoys have a different take on Irish music. They play shows with just two acoustic guitars and two voices, yet the sound is surprisingly full. For bigger gigs they electrify, adding bass guitar, drums and a fiddle to round out a sound that is already forceful, sincere and delivered with all the intensity of a soccer riot. Irish in America represents the band’s most ambitious undertaking to date. Featuring mostly original material, the album marks the first time the band has written full arrangements and enlisted a complement of guest musicians. “We have a great community of very talented musicians in our local scene,” explains guitarist Geno Calrson. “it was amazing to hear how the playing of people like Sean Conway (of the Irish Brigade) and John Wright (Lehto and Wright) really fleshed out our songs. We are very lucky to have such great friends and colleagues.” The songs are about diverse subjects, but retain an “Irish” feel thanks to the plaintive voices, fiddles, tin whistles and uilleann pipes sprinked throughout. Says singer Adam Coolong, “there were a lot of things we wanted to sing about, from the Irish diaspora to going away from home for the first time. From waking up in a strange place to living a very different life than what you planned for.” Different topics certainly, but for all that diversity there is definitely an underlying commonality; the album is about life, how you live it and where you came from. Whether playing at home in the Twin Cities or touring regionally and elsewhere, the Wild Colonial Bhoys always put their heart and soul into their music and their shows. They are not a facsimile of another culture, and they don’t play Irish music to make a buck. They sing the songs for the love of the music and the respect of the culture. See one live show and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.