IN REVIEW: Dropkick Murphys - "11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory"

With two decades of hard earned experience banked up, it only makes sense that Dropkick Murphys would slow down and mellow out a bit. Admittedly, their ninth album isn't as raucous as past affairs, and more or less continues the middle-age settling process that began in earnest on Signed and Sealed in Blood, their 2013 album.

Don't get me wrong, this thing won't put you to sleep, and much of their classic attitude and velocity are intact (especially on Rebels with a Cause and I Had a Hat); it's just that it's overall a more measured, thoughtful record, with more mid-tempo fare and more nods to classic rock than fans may be used to. The good news is, the adjustment suits them well; when the songs hit that sweet spot, like on the nostalgic Sandlot and the life-lesson status report via sports anthem Paying My Way, they make their standard bar rock singalong fare sound like pure rock radio bliss (you know, if rock radio was cooler than it is now). All told, it's not likely to win them scores of new fans, but 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory is a great example of a band growing up alongside the ones they have.

January 6, 2017 • Born & Bred
Highlights Rebels with a Cause • Sandlot • Paying My Way

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