Dropkick Murphys - Sing Loud, Sing Proud!

Sing Loud, Sing Proud! - by the Dropkick Murphys - starts out with a cheering first track, For Boston. Screams filling a stadium, and the ever-classic use of a popular team cheer; Let's go Murphys!

Let's go Murphys, indeed - for the album brings back driving punk rock, hardcore, and Irish folk music to the stage. These Boston-born Irish scream their way through sixteen smashing tracks which blow your mind straight back to whence it came.

The second, fourth, and fifteenth tracks (The Legend of Finn MacCumhail, The Rocky Road to Dublin, and The Wild Rover, successively) are all traditional Irish tunes - that is, until you put in the heavy drums and ragged voices. You could call them family tunes...

...Or not.

The album encompasses Irish pride as well as Irish suffering, unknown musicianship and even love songs, oh, and you could throw in a bit of raunchy bar music too. The Spicy McHaggis Jig (track 16) tells the story of Spicy, a man whose pipes were gigantic, and so was his schlong. I'll let you listen to the rest of that one.

Ever heard a song about rats? Well, listen to this album, and you'll be able to say, with pride, "Yes, I have." Make it Irish, though. Good Rats reminds you of those teenage years, drinking with your friends and that oh-so-pleasurable peer pressure.

The quick beat of this rockin' album makes you want to get up and move your feet - so do it! But while you're at it, don't forget;

Sing it loud, sing it proud!