Dropkick Murphys: “Warrior’s Code”
THE CD: “Warrior’s Code” (Hellcat)
PERFORMER: Dropkick Murphys
Boston-based Dropkick Murphys bring their Irish-influenced punk rock into full bloom with “The Warrior’s Code”. If you’ve had the pleasure to hear “Live on St. Patrick’s Day” and “Blackout,” you know what I mean.
Ken Casey is the leader of the gang, playing bass and sharing the vocals with Al Barr. They both may sound tough, but their words paint a different picture. “Warrior’s Code” shows that these slap-boxing hooligans also have heart. Piano, cello, and even a viola make appearances on the record, joining the bagpipes of Scruffy Wallace, for an ambitious sound.
Goosebump rock
“Your Spirit’s Alive” is the first track, dedicated to a friend who had recently passed away. The liner notes mention that the band played at the funeral, and the lyrics say as much: We are the ones who will never be broken/We are the ones who survive/This is the sound that brings us together/You are the one by our side.
You say you’ve heard the band’s version of “Amazing Grace”? Then you know this band can give you goosebumps.
The Murphys take traditional songs and give them their own distinct flavor. In “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen,” Casey sings about a workplace romance gone terribly wrong: I said she did invite me/But she gave prompt denial/For assault she did indict me/and I was sent for trial. Yikes.
One of the best parts about DKM tunes are the anthem-like choruses, which will have you spinning and kicking like you’re fresh out of Riverdance. This song is no exception, with the band chanting With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie/Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie over a driving beat. What are they saying? I don’t know but it rocks.
Seriously sensitive dudes
“Sunshine Highway” is an example of the bands more approachable songwriting. While some bands with two singers can seem bi-polar at times, Casey and Barr work well together, telling tales of the good and bad times.
“Wicked Sensitive Crew” spells out the band’s opinions on punk bands you may find on the Warped Tour. Casey croons: Well it’s all gone to hell now, the wimps have gangs/Pop-punk tough guys with neck tattoos/Well if you guys are hard than I’d rather be soft/Man I gotta find me some seriously sensitive dudes.
“Citizen C.I.A” is a delightful thrash that takes a stab at American foreign policy. Barr shouts: You’ll assemble puppet governments and play the hand of God/We’re an equal opportunity crime fighting squad . . . We’re knee deep in guerrillas, yeah the party never stops/United States of America . . . undercover cop.
Friendship, love, loss, death, and redemption are all on display in the lyrics. “The Auld Triangle” is no exception, with the theme being imprisonment, as it was on “Fields of Athenry”.
The CD closes with the Official Anthem of the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, “Tessie”. It highlights the Murphys love of their city and its baseball team. It also includes backing vocals by semi-pro musicians and oh, they’re also baseball players, too, Johnny Damon and Bronson Arroyo.
So, if you like hard drinking, hard-rocking, violent Irish-poet types, DKM is for you.
– Nick Harrah
