Band : Street Dogs
Album title : Street Dogs
Label : Hellcat Records
Distributor : Epitaph - PIAS
Release date : 30/08/2010
Release : CD

Following their participation to the 2008 Van's Warped Tour in support of their then freshly released 4th album State Of Grace (their first for Hellcat – review posted 11/08/2008), Boston based StreetPunk act Street Dogs set out on a US headline tour, and hopped onto the Eastpack Antidote tour later in the year to tour Europe. After that, the guys kept on playing regular gigs all over the US, while writing new stuff and getting set to record another collection of them for their fifth studio album.

Co-produced by bassist Johnny Rioux and Rick Barton, and engineered/ mixed by the mighty Jason Livermore (check his work on stuff by Rise Against and NOFX to begin with) at the infamous the Blasting Room studio, the album is self-titled, because (according to singer Mike McColgan, from the info sheet we got along with our promo copy): “...it's collectively as a group coming forward and saying this is our best and most definitive work so far.” Again from that info sheet, there's songs about personal empowerment, personal freedom, and the search for personal redemption. (McColgan) “We have a song called “Hang 'Em High” that talks about about the corruption of Bernie Madoff and a song called “Wild In Portland” that speaks of economic downturn and its fallout. There are also songs that eulogize our fallen friends who didn't fair too well in the game of life, and songs that praise our family and our roots. And a song entitled “Up The Union” for EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) legislation which would make it less difficult for employees to organize labor unions and lessen the chance of employer reprisal for organizing. We've got a Saturday night Punk Rock throwdown anthem in out song “Punk Rock And Roll”, and with “Rattle And Roll” I pay homage once again to Dorchester and Dot Rats...”

In other words, the band again tackles an amount of themes which are close to their hearts! And that McColgan speaks out for the things he believes in, he's proven quite seriously during 2008, when he could be found openly supporting humanitarian organisation Oxfam during shows. Musically, things stay very much to the same style: Street Punk of the '78 British type, Punk Rock for the working class...with a few exceptions in which an even more Celtic face is shown through the addition of bagpipes (album opener “Formation) or harmonium (“Harpo” and album closer “Poor, Poor Jimmy”). Plenty of vocal backings give the whole a singalong factor that's simply addictive. Short and to the point beauties which come 18 pieces in only 41 minutes! Now if you're new to Street punk but would like to try out a real good act in the genre, or if you're into Street punk but never tackled this band before, I strongly recommend you check out the songs (including 2 off the new album, by the way) posted at myspace.com/streetdogs. Alternatively, you might check out the band in live conditions (for live dates in the US between now and late October, check the same MySpace page). Those among you whom already know the band...you know what to do!

85/100

Tony.