Rating: 10/10
Release: 12 October 2018
Label: Independent

When I began listening to Celtic punk one of the bands that stood out to me was The Rumjacks. Great instruments, great vocals and exceptional lyrics. With the Rumjacks you know your going to get fun stories. ‘Saints Preserve Us’ is more of everything I like about the Rumjacks. The music is exciting and full. More instruments are used than ever before and the songs themselves are full of complex lyrics that you cant possibly get with only one listen. The album begs for repeated turns and it rewards the listener with something new to love each time through. Its a fairly long disc and I don’t hear any filler. Each song has its place and it never gets boring or feels repetitive. “Saints Preserve Us”, opens the album with a shot of great punk like a punch to the gut and it never slows down until the fifth track,”Last Orders”. The traditional sounding “Billy McKinley”,and the bagpipe enhanced “An Poc Ar Buile” are immediate standouts. Clever lyrics and a great tune make the aforementioned “Last Orders” another early standout.Other exceptional tracks Include “Cold London Rain”,”The Foreman O’Rourke”, and “A Smugglers Song” but really the entire album is a highlight. My pick for best song on the disc is “If it Kills Me” a classic in every way and impossible to get out of your head. This has been a great year for music with many great bands releasing really good music and this album still stands out for me in the field of Celtic punk. If you like this style of music this is the best album in its class this year so far. The Rumjacks have been around for a while and they have weathered controversy and trouble and still produced quality music. “Saints Preserve Us” may be their best album to date and hopefully they will try to outdo it with their next.This is Celtic punk with an attitude at its very best. Play it loud and hoist a pint!

Tracklist

1. Saints Preserve Us
2. Billy McKinley
3. Bus Floor Bottles
4. An por ar buile (The mad puck goat)
5. Last Orders
6. Cold London Rain
7. Fare Evader
8. The Foreman ORourke
9. A Smugglers Song
10. A Dozen Good Reasons to Weep
11. If It Kills Me
12. Cupcakes