Black Flag's sea shanties became a genuine cultural phenomenon when the game launched, and this second volume proves Ubisoft knew exactly what they had. These aren't polished studio recordings but rough, salty performances that sound like they were belted out on a rolling deck after three pints of grog.
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Classics like "Drunken Sailor" and "Spanish Ladies" sit alongside deeper cuts like "Captain Kidd" and "The Golden Vanity," creating a setlist that any actual 18th-century crew would have been proud of. What makes this collection work so well is the authenticity of the performances.
The voices crack, the harmonies are imperfect, and the call-and-response format of tracks like "Roll, Boys, Roll!" and "Billy Riley" genuinely sounds like a work song keeping sailors in rhythm as they haul lines. "Here's a Health to the Company" and "Star of the County Down" shift into more wistful territory, capturing those quieter moments between storms and naval battles.
"Lowlands Away" is hauntingly beautiful, the kind of song that makes you forget you're listening to a video game soundtrack. The final stretch adds some variety with tavern music in the form of "Fandango 01," "Fandango 02," "Jaberas," and "Tientos," evoking the Spanish-influenced ports Edward Kenway frequents throughout the Caribbean.
This album is a rare case where a game's incidental music became arguably more beloved than its main score. Sailing the open ocean just isn't the same without these songs ringing out across the waves.