Music Reviews
Artist:
Dropkick MurphysTitle:
‘The State of Massachusetts’Label:
Cooking Vinyl
This is pure party music. Not the sort to sip a glass of Chablis to or engage in some idle flirting but the type to get rip roaring drunk to and stomp around like a demented mad man; the type to jump around to, arms linked with fellow drinkers, beer and whiskey flying everywhere.
Part punk, part Irish drinking song listening to ‘The State of Massachusetts’ is a purely cathartic experience. It begins with the calm before the storm - a bouncy banjo solo - before the pounding drums kick in and Al Barr begins to growl over the music. The lyrics tell the tale of a once abused, now drug addled, mother having her children taken away; the music speaks of pain and frustration. The banjo is what makes it really stand out.
The track is due for release at the beginning of February, so in plenty of time for Paddy’s Day, and timed to coincide with their UK tour. Its easy to imagine them performing in windowless drinking halls, cavernous barns and even empty fields but Brixton Academy should just about do.
