Rating: 7/10
Release: May 2023
Label: Independent

This album is celebrating ten years of Jolly Jackin’! Go ahead and snicker, it’s a fun album. For the uninitiated, they’re a six-piece folky Irish punk band from Budapest. Their songs fill the gamut of drinking, nautical shenanigans, a ballad or two, and some tales of twisted relationships. The album is mostly covers of their favorite songs from previous albums showing off the new singer Dominika Domonkos.

Along with the new singer, songs are sped up and homogenized with a heavy peppering of swing. With that said, the album has a strong, fresh sense of personality. “Hunters Red” is the album opener. It’s the only new song and a great indication of things to come. It’s got a long lead-in showing off the instrumentation and teases the arrival of the new singer. It’s excellent showmanship. The song itself is about a tempestuous relationship, one of the two main themes of the album, so it’s good to see the new lineup will be traveling familiar grounds.

It’s so great hearing new renditions of our favorite Jackers songs. “Sobriety” is a rock-solid drinking anthem, fan favorite, and the strongest song of the album. It’s somehow happy sounding while raving against drunkenness and filling the punk drinking song space at the same time. At the time of writing, the older rendition is their number one track on Spotify, but I foresee this one catching up quickly.

As far as top tracks go, I woke up to “Let it Rain” rattling around in my head. It’s got an insanely catchy chorus and strong message, so it’s also in the top tier. “Whiskey” fills out the top three. It’s got a great fiddle opening and catchy refrain. The sound is spectacular: It’s Ireland in Budapest by way of the American southwest.

The Jolly Jackers tour central Europe and carry a full roster throughout the summer. If you’re in central Europe, they’re definitely worth checking out. This album’s great even though there’s only one brand new song, and I can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Tracklist

1. Hunters Red
2. Call the Captain
3. Sobriety
4. Whiskey
5. House
6. Let it Rain
7. Devil
8. Chameleon
9. Lies
10. Born Again
11. Alone
12. Underdog