Dropkick MurphysThe Meanest of TimesBorn and Bred RecordsThree ourt of five stars
The appeal of real punk rock has always been its anger and its honesty. No trendy hairstyles, no fashionable wardrobes, no producering-penned singles — just a couple power chords and a lot of distortion.
Few would argue the legitimacy of the near-legendary Dropkick Murphys’ brand of real punk rock, and the band’s sixth full-length, The Meanest of Times, testifies to this reputation. “Loyal to No One” and “(F)Llanigan’s Ball” (featuring Ronnie Drew from the Dubliners and Spider Stacy from the Pogues) keep the Murphys’ Irish roots alive with striking bagpipes and jig-inducing rhythms, while tracks like “Fairmount Hill” reveal the band’s consummate knack for paying homage to traditional Irish balladry.
The Meanest of Times hits hardest in traditional Boston punk anthems “Vices and Virtues” as no punches are pulled in honesty or anger.
Nightmare of YouBangThe Bevonshire LabelThree out of five stars
Millions have tried and millions have failed to emulate the croon of enigmatic Smiths’s band-leader Steven Patrick Morrissey. Thankfully the failures of others did not deter Nightmare of You’s Brandon Reilly. Employing Morrissey’s tongue-in-cheek word choice, jilted phrasing and soothing moan, Reilly laces the Nightmare’s American pop take on British post-punk with a voice that does justice to the idol while maintaining respectful distance.
Bang reveals this most exquisitely as acoustic guitars battle subtle keyboards beneath Reilly lulling, “You don’t have to tell me I was a terrible man,” on the song of the same name. Title track “Bang” carries an Oingo Boingo bounce into a collage of Cure-ish aesthetics that’s sure to sucker the new wave of Ferdinand/-Killers/-Bravery new wave fans.
Nightmare of You manages to champion something these acts just can’t seem to: a sound that respects instead of ransacks its forefathers.
StarsIn Our Bedroom After the WarArts & CraftsFour out of five stars
Stars’ multiple multi-instrumentalists and collage of lounge -jazz sex appeal, indie humility and post-punk chic may sound like the makings of complete sonic confusion. But somehow, the eclectic, Montreal-based buzz band’s third record, In Our Bedroom After the War, galvanizes each diverse influence with the striking male and female storytelling of front-people Torquil Campbell and Amy Milan.
“The Night Starts Here” introduces the album as the two trade blows above a synth-based electro-pop ballad that’d play well in dance clubs and coffee shops alike. Milan’s smoky chords take center stage in lounge pop tune “My Favourite Book” as it flirts with both Fiona Apple mystery and Nelly Furtado soul tastes. Campbell excels in up- tempo, indie -rockers “Take Me to the Riot” and “The Ghost of Genova” that bridge gaps between the inviting plots of The Smiths and the simple melodies of the nouveau Canadian explosion, a la Jason Collett, Kevin Drew and the rest of the broken scene.
In Our Bedroom possesses plot lines and pop tunes for any and all occasions.