Dropkick Murphys – Going Out In Style

In 2007, I gushed lovingly over The Dropkick Murphys’ The Meanest Of Times in my review of it. It jumped at me from first listen and I had no conservations claiming so. Sadly, my love affair for the album swayed and other than a select few songs from it, I rarely pull it out and listen. It came out with a punch but fizzled in the long run.

Now, a few years later, The Murphys are back with their seventh studio album – Going Out In Style – and maybe I’m bathing in the limelight of early love all over again, but I can’t help but once again gush over the album in more ways than one. In fact, I think I can confidently say that Going Out In Style is the band’s strongest effort since Sing Loud Sing Proud.

Yes, this album is on par with that landmark release as there’s not a filler in the pack. The album is strong, energetic, rowdy and arm-raising. They pump up the speed and energy when needed and cull it back at key moments to keep the sound fresh and the album moving. So going from Take ‘Em Down, a rallying song built on handclaps, harmonicas and blue collar chanting into Sunday Hardcore Matinee somehow not only works but also seems to just be right.

For the first time in a long time, Scruffy Wallace makes a prominent impact with his bagpipes and tin whistle. The change is evident from the opening track of Hang ‘ Em High as Wallace seems to have found his place amongst the Murphys clan at last, really leaving his mark and propelling the songs forward. Of course, the bagpipes are only one of the handful of instruments that fulfill every nook and cranny of the album as Going Out In Style is a full sounding album and yet it never becomes overbearing. Everything is mixed perfectly, creating a strong wall to build off of just like The Dreadnought’s Polka Never Dieslast year.

So whether Bruce Springsteen is singing on their take of the traditional Peg O’ My Heart, they’re slowing it down on Cruel or riling everyone up with Going Out In Style, The Murphys have delivered a pure Celtic-punk album seeped with Boston and Irish references. It’s energetic, catchy, blood pumping, full, well rounded and countless other positive adjectives.

As I said before, The Dropkick Murphys have delivered their best album since Sing Loud Sing Proud here.