Dropkick Murphys will release their seventh full-length studio album, Going Out In Style, March 1, 2011 on their own Born & Bred Records (ILG). Produced by Ted Hutt, Going Out In Style features the group’s signature blend of punk rock energy, folk soul, Irish spirit and American rock ‘n roll on tracks like “Memorial Day” (streaming now at www.RollingStone.com), “Going Out In Style,” “The Hardest Mile,” “Cruel,” “Climbing A Chair To Bed,” and a rousing rendition of “Peg O’ My Heart” with guest vocals by Bruce Springsteen.
Summing up the spirit of the Irish, in tandem with the hardcore attitude of punk rock, the Dropkick Murphys is a band that knows what they are about and refuse to bend to the “business” side of the music business. Their latest effort Going Out In Style is a collection of free spirited songs that ought to be accompanied with a pint of homebrewed beer and good friends. They utilize an up-beat rhythmic sense with the more somber feel of Irish classics. The instrumentation seems to meld their cultural backgrounds by including punk rock drums and guitars with more traditional Irish sounds like bagpipes, banjos and mandos, with ‘”drunken” gang-style background vocalists.
“Hang ‘Em High”, the first track on the album, sets the attitude off right from the start. Although the hook of the song is intended to have the listener belting along with pint in hand, the lyrics about struggles and fighting have a deep-seated meaning that resonates with anyone who has ever been down on their luck in life.
“Going Out In Style” is an apt title track that seems to question the most basic of life choices, in a lyrical sense, while the music itself just rolls along like a train that won’t stop. This song sums up the attitude of this band. There is nothing anyone could say to deter them; They are going through life their way and you can either understand it and support it, or you can just plain piss off, cuz, “they don’t really give a shit, their going out in style.”
“The Hardest Mile” moves into the fun upbeat style that this band is known for. With fun loving background elements that sound as if they were recorded in their local Irish Pub, you can’t help but have a smile on your face listening the sound of a band that knows how to have fun with their music, even as the lyrics hold a darker edge.
“Cruel” is a song that moves into more somber territory. The storytelling element takes the forefront this time, as the more natural instruments get to take the spotlight, leaving the punk rock electric guitars to take a back seat. It’s the kind of song that sums up old memories and past emotions. “Cruel” feels like it was lifted from the soundtrack to a very deep drama film that addresses the consequences of life’s choices.
“Memorial Day” is another classic Dropkick Murphys sing along style tune. The positive ‘come have some fun’ lyric harkens to themes that have come on prior recordings, but there seems to be an element of maturity to this album. A sense of growth and development that was not as prevalent before.
“Climbing A Chair to Bed” is a bare bones track that is straight forward in all directions. It is the only track up to this point that lost my interest. In and of itself, it is a fine song, but it feels as if it has already been said and done. Not just on this album but on previous ones as well. The old school Dropkick fans will love it, but I doubt it will garner them any new fans.
“Broken Hymns” brings this album back to the more organic elements that show off the true talent behind this band. Incorporating a marching element, this song makes tribute to the Irish culture that the band is so clearly proud of.
“Deeds Not Words” is one of those tunes that could, at first, be mistaken for some Irish dirge. However it quickly takes a 90-degree turn and runs off in a completely different direction. The punk rock themes collide with the folk elements to give the listener something different and unexpected to enjoy.
“Take ‘Em Down” is a knee slapping, folk driven song that is short, sweet and just plain fun. With lyrics like “Take the bastards down,” it’s one of those simple tunes that everyone can relate to.
“Sunday Hardcore Matinee” picks up the pace for the back end of the album. It’s up beat and fun and I definitely expect it to blast over the speakers at this years St. Patty’s day celebration. The guitarists get to take a moment to showcase their skills without breaking away from the rest of the band completely.
“1953″ is the crooner song of the album. Although not my favorite, the fans of the more traditional elements will definitely enjoy it. It definitely has a sentimental value to it that I can’t help but respect.
“Peg O’ My Heart” takes the vibe back in to more positive mental territory. It’s a love song that wants to be a punk song. It tows the line between classy and sappy without ever really choosing a side.
“The Irish Rover” ends the album with a full Irish tilt. All the folk themes get a chance to shine in this upbeat song. They really found a way to cram all of their best elements into one last song. The lead vocals are brash and loud and the backgrounds are once again back in your local Pub drinking with their friends, and by the end of the tune it all falls apart in the most entertaining way possible.
Going Out In Style is just plain good ole Irish fun. It doesn’t take it self too seriously and is clearly meant to invoke good times with good people. It’s an album that their long time fans will love and even has a few tunes that might captivate some new listeners. It is not ground breaking per se, but it sums up what the band is so good at. It is a fun listen and an album that I will definitely be adding to my collection.
-Jason Gillespie
Jason Gillespie is an up and coming producer/engineer whose work includes critically acclaimed albums and soundtracks including Ruthie Foster’s Grammy nominated album “The Truth According to Ruthie Foster”, Puscifer’s “V is for Vagina”, Wax Fang’s “La La Land” and the Great Debaters soundtrack.
About DROPKICK MURPHYS
Known for their complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock ‘n roll, critically-acclaimed Dropkick Murphys have released 10 full-length CDs and sold over 3 million copies worldwide since hitting the scene in 1996. 2007’s The Meanest Of Times–released via the group’s own Born & Bred Records–marked the band’s highest Billboard Top 200 chart debut ever (#20) and is their fastest selling record to date with over 300,000 copies sold worldwide. The Meanest Of Times was #40 on Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Albums Of The Year and “The State Of Massachusetts” came in at #83 on their Top 100 Singles of the year. The group’s single “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”–from 2005’s The Warrior’s Code CD–has sold over 1.25 million copies. “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” a song with lyrics penned by Woody Guthrie, gained mainstream notoriety after being prominently featured in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film The Departed. It can be commonly heard at sporting events and on television as a theme song for many sports teams (even outside of Boston). The Boston Garden plays it at pivotal moments throughout Bruins and Celtics games and Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon uses it as his entrance music when he comes out of the bullpen. The band has sold out shows worldwide and cultivated one of the most fervent fan bases in rock music. They’re an integral part of Boston’s cultural identity and even penned the theme song to the first Red Sox World Series win in 86 years.
