Street Dogs-State of Grace
Record Label: Hellcat
Year: 2008
Track Listing:
- Mean Cat
- Kevin J O'Toole
- Into The Valley
- Rebel Song
- The General's Boombox
- Elizabeth
- Two Angry Kids
- Guns
- San Patricios
- A State Of Grace
- Free
The Street Dogs fourth release was one of the highly anticipated punk albums of this year, and it certainly doesn't disappointment.
That's not too much of a surprise since Vocalist Mike McColgan is the former lead singer and founding member of The Dropkick Murphys, has lived a life that most musicians only sing about.
Leaving the punk rock scene in 1998 he became a Boston firefighter, and served time in the Gulf war. It's these very experiences that allow McColgan and the Street Dogs to create provocative and vivid music.
While a lot of Irish punk bands still manage to use their music to scream about being Irish, The Street Dogs have moved away from this. While there are a few songs that scream 'Irish' with their tales about heartfelt unity and working class, many of the songs are about mortality.
It's little wonder that, as a firefighter, and Gulf War Veteran, McColgin's main focus has been on departed love ones. He certainly would have been in the face of danger more often than not, and manages to interweave these experiences so beautifully into his music.
The Street Dogs most intimate album to date, many songs are dedications to lost loved ones.
'Kevin J O'Toole' is about McColgan's uncle, 'Elizabeth' is about his late Grandmother and 'The General's Boombox' is Clash-soaked ode to the late Joe Strummer.
The Street Dogs even take on The Skids 'Into The Valley', reworking it, and making it their own.
One of the enjoyable things about this album that while yes, it is the traditional Irish punk album you'd expect, it also goes much more further than that.
'Elizabeth' sees the band experiment with a much softer, folk- rock acoustic. Probably one of my favorite songs on the album, it aptly suits the lyrics and mood of the song, as McColgan sings an ode to his beloved Grandmother.
'Guns' and 'San Patricios' are foot-stomping punk rock at its best, as The Street Dogs sing about inner city struggles and gang wars. Both songs that show that while the band can go softer, they still have the ability to churn out songs made for the pub and arenas.
The last track 'Free' was solely written by McCoglan and is the most personal. Opening with somber cries of a harmonica, it's stripped down and sees the Street Dogs inflict raw emotion, as they lament the struggles of life while still looking for hope.
A powerful, and honest record that sees The Street Dogs' at their most intimate.
I give it HHH