IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD marked an apex for the Pogues–with producer Steve Lillywhite at the helm, their neo-traditional Irish songcraft was given a particularly timeless touch without compromising any of the bands trademark intensity. Adding yet another wrinkle of the Irish experience to his profound, intense lyrical oeuvre, Shane MacGowan touches on the Irish in New York, occasionally conjuring up reminders of George M. Cohan (who even gets name-checked here, on “Thousands Are Sailing”). “Metropolis” is a jazzy, brass-fueled instrumental, while the over-the-top sentimentality and swirling strings of “Fairy Tale of New York” made it an instant Christmas classic. From the irreverent bravado of the opening title track straight through to the jokey, fatalistic closer, “Worms”, IF I SHOULD FALL is a rollicking, sometimes brutally honest document, driven hard by the bands inspiringly tight, masterful playing and propelled by the raspy vocal and compelling lyrical attack of MacGowan. “Bottle Of Smoke” is a breakneck thrill ride about a celebratory victory at the horse races, while “Streets Of Sorrow/Birmingham Six” finds Shane in a rare moment of political rant.
