 STREET
DOGS
Back to the World
Brass Tacks 2005
www.street-dogs.com
Read the Mike McColgan interview
Live Street Dogs
pics
What’s the 4-1-1?
Sophomore release by former Dropkick Murphys frontman and his latest band.
Genre
Punk rock / hard rock
The Good
There’s no denying that each track on Back to the World is loaded
with plenty of catchy and somewhat predictable punk riffs and rhythms, but it
was
the lyrics that had the biggest impact on me. “Strike a Blow” is
about how rock music needs to take back radio as it did in the nineties. “You
Alone” inspires you to believe in yourself. “In Defense of Dorchester” has
McColgan paying homage to his hometown. You gotta love that whooh-whooh chorus
section. “Back to the World” is about a homesick U.S. solider serving
his country in Iraq, while “Tales of Mass Deception” basically lashes
out at our President for sending him there under false pretences.
It’s not all seriousness for Street Dogs; “Drink Tonight” is
a one-minute punk explosion about having a good time. On the other side of
that coin is “Stagger”, a song about that old man at the end of
the bar that eventually drinks himself to death. “White Collar Fraud” is
about how people can get sucked into corporate greed and forget where they
came from. If you’re not sure how alcohol can ruin someone’s life,
listen to “Patrick”. He used to be a promising young man until
he hit the bottle and became an angry failure. “Hands Down” tackles
the issue of abusive relationships.
The Bad
Are you kidding me?!
The Verdict
Street Dogs’ latest release is punk rock music for the thinking man. Each
song tackles a different issue that many of us can relate to in our own lives.
That’s how music is supposed to affect us, and McColgan has a firm grasp
on that concept. To drive these well-written thoughts and views home, Street
Dogs set them to catchy and enjoyable music that’s sure to burn into your
head.
Did You Know?
Vocalist Mike McColgan left the band Dropkick Murphys in 1998 to become a full-time
firefighter.
Rating:  out
of 5
--George Dionne
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