Dropkick Murphys – ‘Turn Up That Dial’ (2021)
Rating: 8/10
Release: 30 April 2021
Label: Born & Bred Records
After the year that has just passed I’m sure that many bands will be delivering albums full of pent up energy and full blown adrenaline and this effort by the Dropkick Murphys is a prime example of that. This is a c.d. full of fun tunes and energy and the party is in overdrive. Everyone has a story of how the pandemic has affected them and many lives have been changed forever by the last year however the world is finally emerging from the darkness and music is one of the things that people need to heal their lives and get back to normal. This is a gleeful and welcome album that does not try to set a new standard but simply revels in the Celtic punk vibe that the band is loved for. From the opening salvo of Turn up that dial to the closer Wish you were here, this music is meant to lift peoples spirits and voices. L-EE-B-O-Y brings the bagpipes and if you can listen without joining the chorus you have no soul. The band tells the stories of punk kings and queens and lifts its middle finger to the darkness in a flurry of great tunes Like Queen of Suffolk County, Mick Jones nicked my pudding,Good as Gold and Smash Shit Up. Chosen Few attacks the last year and the condition of our country and somehow maintains an optimistic outlook while delivering grim lines.City by the Sea brings us home to wherever we are from whether it be Boston or London.
OThe final melancholy of Wish You were here is the perfect end to the album as it remembers the lost and gives a goodbye of sorts and a desire for rebirth. Overall a great Album by a great band. Here’s to a hopeful future!
Tracklist
- Turn Up That Dial
- L-EE-B-O-Y
- Middle Finger
- Queen Of Suffolk County
- Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding
- H.B.D.M.F.
- Good As Gold
- Smash Shit Up
- Chosen Few
- City By The Sea
- I Wish You Were Here