DROPKICK MURPHYS

We know what you're thinking. New DROPKICK MURPHYS is here, and it isn't even St. Patrick's Day! The Boston-based Celtic punk guys are favorites around St. Patrick's Day, thanks to their blend of traditional Irish music and American hardcore. Forming in the late-1990s as a fairly straight-ahead punk band, the group, over time, added traditional Irish instruments and colors to their punk sound and struck gold — or, in keeping on theme, a pot of gold. Call it the luck of the Irish.

Now, DROPKICK MURPHYS are back with their 12th studio album, "Okemah Rising". Ted Hutt produced the album, and the set features guest appearances from VIOLENT FEMMES, Jaime Wyatt, Jesse Ahern and more. The new album was recorded during their 2022 sessions for "This Machine Still Kills Fascists", and, as with the songs on that release, the lyrics are made up of previously unpublished words from Woody Guthrie.

"My Eyes Are Gonna Shine" kicks the record off, offering a very familiar DROPKICK MURPHYS sound with Irish instrumentation and a simple, sing-along chorus. Next up is early single "Gotta Get to Peekskill", an aggressive track that features Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie of VIOLENT FEMMES. Here, DROPKICK MURPHYS take a serious turn and reference the 1949 Peekskill Riots, a violent protest that, as the band explains, brought the Ku Klux Klan to the Hudson River to oppose a peaceful Paul Robeson concert. The following week, a handful of musicians, including Guthrie, joined Robeson for a special rescheduled concert.

"Watching the World Go By" opens with charming bagpipes and develops into a low-key, simple Irish ditty. Further on, songs such as "Hear the Curfew Blowin" and "When I Was A Little Boy" have a raw, JOHNNY CASH-type vibe. As if they haven't already, DROPKICK MURPHYS make a statement with "Run Hitler Run", infused with 1950s style rockabilly, DROPKICK MURPHYS sound fun and engaging, even as they sing serious lyrics about telling Adolf Hitler to run but that he'll never be able to get away. Finally, the album features a new "Tulsa Version" of the group's hit, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston", which Guthrie originally wrote.

"Okemah Rising" is an imaginative and unique album. DROPKICK MURPHYS remain true to their sound but pay proper tribute to the Woody Guthrie's genius. At a time when some are trying to delete history, it's hopeful to see DROPKICK MURPHYS bringing Guthrie's poignant lyrics to life. It's a reminder that some things are worth fighting for and have been from the beginning of time.