The Killigans – Another Round For The Strong Of Heart

Nebraska’s very own folk punk outfit, The Killigans, has been steadily on the rise since their breakout 2009 full length, Honor.  The album showcased the six-piece’s musical knowhow and positioned them shoulder to shoulder with genre stalwarts Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, and The Pogues.  A few years pass and the album remains a pleasure to revisit, although now overshadowed by its successor and topic of review, Another Round For The Strong Of Heart.  The band’s fourth studio effort doubles as its most ambitious to date, marked with a spread of styles and influences from the docks of seaside shanties to the rolling highlands.

Right from the start, The Killigans feel in their element.  The momentary buildup of intro of “Hit The Deck” builds anticipation like the moments leading up to a stone-faced poker player laying down a full house sweep.  The song erupts into a fast paced proclamation of liberating intent in the vein of Black Thorn eraFlatfoot 56.  Crew member “Pat Nebesniak” plucks tenaciously at his mandolin as front man Brad Hoffman sings of the day-to-day fight “for the scraps that the bosses leave.”  His vocal conviction manifests in a hoarse, streetwise voice that balances aggression fueled tact with candor.  Take for instance the harmonica-led first minute of “Empty Streets,” or the full duration of the acoustic showcase “Salt Of The Earth;” Hoffman cushions his gravelly edges all the while capitalizing on his colloquial appeal.

A newfound maturity frames much of the disc’s ten songs, making them introspective, emotionally in tune, and lyrically insightful.  Look no further than “Hey Sergio” for a picture of The Killigans’ stylistically flexible.  The first thirty seconds give the floor to a nostalgic banjo before breaking into a jovial accordion squeeze accompanying heart beat drumming and bolstered by working-class gang vocals sure to lighten even the sourest of moods.

The accordion proves a durable personal favorite.  Take for instance the far Eastern inspired verses weaving through the exotic fabric of “The Throes Of Misery,” or the polka leaning “The Bottoms” – a lively stage worthy set that would fit right in with much of The Dreadnoughts’ late career discography.

Speaking of which, the head-held-high mood comes in light of some pretty heavy content.  “Salt Of The Earth” for instance winds the tale of “a popper king sitting on his wretched thrown, clutching hopelessly at what was once and may never come again,” in a humbling story of one man’s fall from grace.  The band’s cautionary messages aim to inform of life’s ephemeral vulnerabilities, all the while celebrating living in the moment.

The Killigans could easily be mistaken for a celtic punk act, but as Another Round For The Strong Of Heart shows, they’re so much more.  Shifting between various outlets of expression, the sextet sparingly employs its various instruments, making the most of each tool before lending its voice to the collective communiqué.  Full band folk punk with a heart of gold not to be missed.