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The Dreadnoughts

Roll And Go

Written by: PP on 17/12/2022 17:30:24

The state of folk punk anno 2022 is that most people associate it with the formulaic approach of Flogging Molly or the better, but still predictable rowdy dowdy of Dropkick Murphys. Thanks to a steady output of albums during the past couple of decades, these two units have effectively clichéfied the genre in too many minds. It is a shame because if you scratch beneath the surface, you'll find unique gems like The Dreadnoughts from Vancouver, Canada. Having caught them live once way back when and remembering what a jolly of a fun time their live show was, here I am picking up their sixth album "Roll And Go" for review.

I'm glad I did. "These are punked up polkas, waltzes, Irish jigs, klezmer dances, and sea shanties, all absolutely drenched in alcohol and delivered with an angry, defiant scream", is how the band describes their own sound on Bandcamp. It's a terrific definition and almost entirely captures their cider-fueled Celtic punk and its street punk vibes in an exotic fashion. Accordion, banjo, saxophone, dulcimer, violin, piano, and bouzouki are all among the traditional instruments embedded into their sound, resulting in jolly folk punk melodies that will make you want to lock your arms and dance in circles more than any other band I've come across recently. It's rowdy, it's cheerful, and vocalist Nicholas Smyth sounds like a goddamn pirate on vocals. Only the yarrrr's are missing.

What sets The Dreadnoughts and "Roll And Go" apart from their peers is how they embrace other traditional styles rather than just the Celtic ones. "Problem", for instance, is a polka melody that sounds like a Russian song. It's a violin and accordion-powered party that sounds like a punk version of Alestorm. "Lai lai lai la-la-lai, lai lai lai lai", Smyth roars in one of the catchiest songs of the record. "Vicki's Polka" is another song precisely in this vein that essentially shows that folk punk is not dead nor cliché.

Elsewhere, "Brisbane Harbour" is a Dropkick Murphys-style stadium ballad designed to rile up festivals. "Dusty Ground" is similar with a touch of pirate atmosphere to it. "Scrumpy-O" and it's "CIDER!!" gang shouts are exactly as fun as they sound like on paper, and "Tuika" is an instrumental, violin-fueled pow-wow of folksy melodies. Think of the scene in Titanic where the upper-class socialite Kate Winslet is taken down to the third-class party down the lower levels of the ship by Jack Dawson. That sort of party is exactly the vibe you get off this track.

Throughout "Roll And Go", The Dreadnoughts consistently write amazingly catchy folk-punk melodies that manage to sound fresh and original. Perhaps more importantly, they are maddeningly fun and infectiously catchy in the process. This, my friends, is how a rowdy party is meant to sound.

Download: Cider Holiday, Problem, The Rodney Rocket, Scrumpy-O, Vicki's Polka, Dusty Ground, Battleford 1885
For the fans of: Flogging Molly, The Real McKenzies, The Rumjacks, Flatfoot 56, Gogol Bordello, Dropkick Murphys, Alestorm
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.06.2022
Stomp records