Review Summary: A very enjoyable street punk album with a little bit of folk thrown in. Leaves a lot of question marks as to where the band's sound will go.
Street Dogs are a band that've grown a lot ever since their formation in 2002. They've moved from their start as a small-name punk band to now being signed by Tim Armstrong's Hellcat Records and releasing their fourth album,
State of Grace. The band had hinted that their sound will be shifting on this album which would be a smart move because the last thing a lot of bands want is for their sound to become completely predictable. However, creating an album that their fans will enjoy is also a good thing to keep in mind, since a lot of fans have to take time to adjust to a new sound.
The majority of
State of Grace is Street Dogs sticking to their usual catchy street punk sound, but they do venture into new territory on a few spots. For instance, they add some Celtic and folk instruments on quite a few tracks, much like a certain band vocalist Mike McColgan used to be in. Although, Street Dogs do a pretty good job at straying away from sounding too much like Dropkick Murphys. They incorporate a few traditional instruments in songs like a mandolin in "Two Angry Kids" and bagpipes in "Kevin J. O'Toole." There's even a Spanish-style guitar in the Latin-tinged, "San Pataricios." There are a couple of acoustic songs on the album as well. The overall sound of this album comes off as catchy street punk complete with driving verses, great sing-a-long choruses and rough gang vocals.
The band comes out in full-force on the opener, "Mean Fist," a classic Street Dogs song with a catchy melody and a soaring chorus. Then comes the ode to McColgan's fallen uncle, "Kevin J. O'Toole," closing with a bagpipe hymn. It's a very righteous tribute to the former Boston firefighter. "Tonight, tonight, tonight we toast to you/with a deep respect for all you served to/Kevin J. O'Toole we raise them high/for we know for sure you're spirit will never die." sings Mclogan in the chorus. After that comes an excellent cover of "Into The Valley," originally done by The Skids. The next two tracks are more of the catchy, shout-along songs that are very enjoyable, especially the chorus of "The General's Boombox." "Elizabeth" is next up and it's an acoustic driven ballad with Celtic influences and guest vocals from Heather Waters. It's an average song but the vocals of both singers are very exceptional on this track. "Two Angry Kids" tells the story of two old friends meeting and recalling their past. The aforementioned, "San Partaricios" goes into Latin territory with a Spanish style guitar and Spanish lyrics. The anthemic "A State of Grace" is a definite stand-out with its "hey's!" and soaring vocals in the chorus. The album ends with the acoustic, "Free" which features a harmonica and some great lyrics. "Our music is a shout to where we know we're not alone / we sing the words to our favorite songs / they bring us home. / We find a little comfort, a little piece of mind." sings McClogan as the album closes peacefully.
Musically, this isn't really anything out of the ordinary for punk rock, aside from the addition of more traditional instruments than before. The rest of the members do a good job of making their presence known though. Guitarists Tobe Bean III and Marcus Hollar provide hard-edged punk rock riffs and hooks to make the songs aggressive yet catchy. Bassist Johnny Rioux doesn't have as many catchy bass-lines like I hoped for, but he makes up for it by playing both harmonica and mandolin on a few tracks.
Lyrically, this album is Street Dogs' strongest. "Free," "Kevin J. O'Toole" are some of the best cuts. "A State of Grace" is a real gem too, mainly the chorus, "I'm still searching for a state of grace / A king of nothing / I've been whittled away / like a thief in the night, rum crushes and steals you, no warning / I'm still searching for a state of grace." These honest lyrics backed by the ripping punk rock sound of the band make one great album.
State of Grace is the band's most diverse work to date but it's nothing terribly out there for Street Dogs. This may open up some new doors for the band though, as their signing to Hellcat backed by this album can lead to very good things. They put out a solid effort that will be enjoyed by most, and it's not a bad starter if you're new to the band either.
Favorite Tracks: A State of Grace, Two Angry Kids, Free & The General's Boombox
