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The Buccaneers

Guide Me Home

Written by: PP on 18/04/2012 05:20:46

Pirate punk. Now that's a description that's bound to turn some heads - it sure did with me. Unfortunately for The Buccaneers, an international folk punk outfit that hails from Germany and Canada simultaneously, they fail to fully capitalize on what people's ideas and preconceptions of 'pirate punk' might be, and as such, their third album "Guide Me Home" is merely yet another folk punk album in the vein of Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Mahones et cetera instead of something more. So don't expect a punk version of the rowdy pirate metal of Alestorm or anything, because aside from a few references to the sea and typical pirate imagery, the band doesn't embrace the idea with enough confidence and tongue-in-cheek appeal for it to matter in the big picture.

That said, when it comes to just folk punk, The Buccaneers do a decent job at providing a jolly, danceable expression that's characterized by its mandolin, accordion, harmonica, tin whistle, and banjo instrumentation. It's not as celtic as Dropkick Murphys nor as drunken as early Flogging Molly rather than somewhere in between, while also recalling the slower and more yearning song types of, for instance, The Mahones or Sharks Come Cruisin'. There are moments where "Guide Me Home" sounds rowdy enough to start riotous parties wherever they play live, but that's not the core ingredient of the album by a long shot. Most songs roll by with a happy-go-lucky mood and a good tempo, but it's only once or twice that you get to "Drunken Lullabies" type of party atmosphere, most notably on "Ship Ya Outta Town" .

I'm sure "Guide Me Home" is absolutely fantastic in a live environment. After all, who doesn't want to dance in a drunken haze to folk music played at punk rock tempos? That said, after a number of listens the album does leave its listener a little cold, especially in light of the 'pirate punk' promise that the band's biography promises. It's not bad by any means, just a fairly standard folk punk album with only a few standout songs.

Download: Ship Ya Outta Town, Last Goodbye, Travelled So Far
For the fans of: Dropkick Murphys, Sharks Come Cruisin', Flogging Molly, Rovers Ahead
Listen: Reverbnation

Release date 18.02.2012
Self-Released