East Coast punk rock has not been the same since Dropkick Murphys began, taking their Irish Boston roots and mixing them with punk rock. Heavier than the Pogues or Flogging Molly, the band has a lot of energy while still incorporating a traditional folk sound, and are back with a new album Going Out In Style. The band has said that this is a concept album about a character named Cornelius Larkin, but it doesn't really feel that different from their other records.
The opening song, ""Hang ‘Em High,"" begins with a cacophony of drums and gang vocals, with a little guitar feedback thrown in for good measure. This is a classic Dropkick song, reminiscent of The Gang's All Here. The sound is a little heavier and the vocals a little harsher than their last record, but the song features a wonderful mandolin solo in the bridge and dueling vocals in the verses.
""Going Out In Style"" has the singalong lyrics that make Dropkick shows so great, and an almost drunken quality to them toward the end. The song starts nice and slow with the mandolin in the back and a low distorted guitar before picking up the speed and getting the party going. In the chorus, the entire band is shouting instructions for what is to be done after Larkin's funeral, ending with the line ""I could really give a shit / I'm going in style."" This song has enough tempo changes and that powerful sing-along chorus to make it a standout cut for the album, and a good choice for the lead single.
""Cruel"" reminds me why I find Dropkick Murphys so dynamic, as the band dials back the speed a little for a song with a tin whistle. The chorus ends with the line ""they were crazy, they were mine,"" and it would seem that the band isn't far from the truth there.
The concept behind the album is really easily understood when listening to ""Memorial Day,"" but it certainly doesn't need to be a concept album for this song to exist. That said, this is the most different song Dropkick has released since 2005's The Warrior's Code, keeping the punk feel going with an acoustic sound, relying on the mandolin and tin whistle, with the guitar hanging out in the rhythm section. The lyrics are some of the most honest the band has written, sung as someone at the cusp of maturing beyond the petulance of adolescence.
Another real story song, ""Broken Hymns,"" is heartfelt, with a minimalist drum beat that is agitating, but that feeling is subdued by the held chords of the guitar. The tale woven through the song is of men returning from war, and it really tugs at the heartstrings in a way that nothing in the band's past catalog has. The instrumental bridge is even fitting because there is nothing more that needs to be said, the lyrics ""but the last car, it was silent, they listened close but they couldn't hear / it was laden down with coffins, that didn't speak and couldn't cheer"" are perfect to swing your emotions.
The band is definitely more mature on this record, incorporating sounds from all of their other records, to the point that certain songs sound like they are b-sides or castoffs from those sessions. Yet, when listened to in order this album is obviously cohesive. I didn't really think Dropkick Murphys could take the concept album and make it work, but they have, and this record is one that stands out as the highlight of their career.
