CellarGhosts
06/15/09, 07:18 PM
Street Dogs - State of Grace
Record Label: Hellcat Records
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Serving up a healthy dose of meat-and-potatoes punk rock with an aesthetic not unlike their previous albums, Street Dogs' 2008 release State of Grace is everything one would come to expect from a Street Dogs record: Big choruses, empowering lyrics, upbeat, catchy melodies - it's all here. Yet, the album fails to capture quite the same booming intensity of anything that came before it, namely its' predecessor, 2006's Fading American Dream. This isn't to say it's a bad album by any means. Indeed, it's quite enjoyable. But where the charm was once immediate and lasting on previous efforts, it took numerous listens for this record to truly sink in and take hold. Opening track "Mean Fist" is a solid cut that does a good job of setting up the album, but it's effect is fleeting. Thankfully though, following track "Kevin J. O'Toole" is an instantly memorable and heartfelt ode to Street Dogs frontman Mike McColgan's uncle and childhood hero.
"The General's Boombox" is another song worthy of mention. Yet another ode, this time to punk veteran and beloved music icon Joe Strummer, the song feels like classic Street Dogs - jubilant and impassioned. Two other standouts follow in the same vein. "Elizabeth" is dedicated to McColgan's grandmother, and "Two Angry Kids" is a reminiscent look back at the frontman's time spent with his former band, Dropkick Murphys.
Now, let's look at where the album falters - perhaps the most obvious difference (to these ears, anyway) is the somewhat lackluster production quality. Where Fading American Dream sounded rich, full and displayed a strong musical clarity, State of Grace features a somewhat underwhelming production that doesn't allow the songs to truly leap out at the listener as they once did. But perhaps most importantly of all, the album just feels a bit unmemorable. It's certainly enjoyable upon listening and there are no inherently "bad" tracks here. It just merely doesn't have the same lasting value that any of their prior albums. There are indeed anthems here, as previously stated, but even these songs lack quite the bite that songs like "Fading American Dream", "Last Call", "You Alone" or "Hard Luck Kid" possess.
So all in all, is State of Grace worth your time? Sure it is. It has its share of high points that make up for the lows, but the likelihood of revisiting this album over anything else in the Street Dogs' catalog is low. However, this is just one opinion. This album isn't a damning blemish on the bands' career and it is far from any kind of evidence that they're running out of steam. It is however, a fairly disappointing release from a great band who are capable of better.
Dropkick Murphys, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid
http://www.myspace.com/streetdogs
Record Label: Hellcat Records
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Serving up a healthy dose of meat-and-potatoes punk rock with an aesthetic not unlike their previous albums, Street Dogs' 2008 release State of Grace is everything one would come to expect from a Street Dogs record: Big choruses, empowering lyrics, upbeat, catchy melodies - it's all here. Yet, the album fails to capture quite the same booming intensity of anything that came before it, namely its' predecessor, 2006's Fading American Dream. This isn't to say it's a bad album by any means. Indeed, it's quite enjoyable. But where the charm was once immediate and lasting on previous efforts, it took numerous listens for this record to truly sink in and take hold. Opening track "Mean Fist" is a solid cut that does a good job of setting up the album, but it's effect is fleeting. Thankfully though, following track "Kevin J. O'Toole" is an instantly memorable and heartfelt ode to Street Dogs frontman Mike McColgan's uncle and childhood hero.
"The General's Boombox" is another song worthy of mention. Yet another ode, this time to punk veteran and beloved music icon Joe Strummer, the song feels like classic Street Dogs - jubilant and impassioned. Two other standouts follow in the same vein. "Elizabeth" is dedicated to McColgan's grandmother, and "Two Angry Kids" is a reminiscent look back at the frontman's time spent with his former band, Dropkick Murphys.
Now, let's look at where the album falters - perhaps the most obvious difference (to these ears, anyway) is the somewhat lackluster production quality. Where Fading American Dream sounded rich, full and displayed a strong musical clarity, State of Grace features a somewhat underwhelming production that doesn't allow the songs to truly leap out at the listener as they once did. But perhaps most importantly of all, the album just feels a bit unmemorable. It's certainly enjoyable upon listening and there are no inherently "bad" tracks here. It just merely doesn't have the same lasting value that any of their prior albums. There are indeed anthems here, as previously stated, but even these songs lack quite the bite that songs like "Fading American Dream", "Last Call", "You Alone" or "Hard Luck Kid" possess.
So all in all, is State of Grace worth your time? Sure it is. It has its share of high points that make up for the lows, but the likelihood of revisiting this album over anything else in the Street Dogs' catalog is low. However, this is just one opinion. This album isn't a damning blemish on the bands' career and it is far from any kind of evidence that they're running out of steam. It is however, a fairly disappointing release from a great band who are capable of better.
Dropkick Murphys, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid
http://www.myspace.com/streetdogs