Street Dogs

Fading American Dream

Written by: TL on 27/11/2006 20:36:35

If during your first listen to Boston's Street Dogs, you think that they sound unmistakably like Dropkick Murphys, you're definetely on to something. In case you don't know, the lead singer of the band is none other than Mike McColgan, who used to front Dropkicks until just after the release of their debut album Do Or Die. After taking some time away from music, chasing his dream to be a firefighter, he eventually decided to come back to music, and the rest is history.

Now, three years of work and two full lengths later, him and his friends in Street Dogs are back with yet another shot of their good old half-drunken punk rock. Like it or not, this band is bound to be forever compared to bands like Dropkick or Flogging Molly, seeing as how they have the same kind of drunken optimistic feeling to their music. Even though the 'Dogs don't have nearly as many bagpipes making them distinctively Irish, the whole concept of happy straightforward gang-shout-friendly punkrock is so similar to things you're used to hearing from Dropkick, that you will have a hard time thinking about one without the other. If you can however get over the similarity, this record isn't half bad. Especially the first half of it has really got the spirit going with great uplifting tracks like "Tobe's Got A Drinkin' Problem", "Not Without A Purpose" and the lead single "Fatty". Later on things start moving into a different direction, and the concentrated happy-effect diminishes a bit, even though the songs aren't too different to the first ones.

Maybe it's just the fact that diversity never really was something bands like this are too concerned with. Both with regards to lyrics and composition things are kept really simple, and it's clear that this never gets any more opinionated than a simple attempt at raising peoples spirits, and reminding them to stand up for themselves. This album is a great soundtrack for some good times, but probably not a long lasting relationship. Still good, just not great.

7

Download: Fatty, Not Without A Purpose, Tobe's Got A Drinkin' Problem
For the fans of: Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly
Listen:MySpace

Release Date 10.10.2006
DRT Entertainment
Provided by Target ApS

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.