Smokey Bastard

Tales From The Wasteland

Written by: PP on 18/01/2012 06:49:53

Smokey Bastard are basically UK's answer to Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, and they don't mind that comparison. In fact, they cherish it, and unashamedly clone their trademarked celtic folk punk sound to the letter on their newest album "Tales From The Wasteland". It might be the closest you'll come to a halfway point between the old material by both bands (not so much the new stuff), meaning drunken-sailor routine dominates the vocals, and the mandolin/banjo/flute driven melodies are a guaranteed dance floor opener at any late night venture into a rock oriented club.

Basically, "Tales From The Wasteland" is click-your-arms-and-dance folk punk the way it was always meant to be played. It's not worried with petty things like sounding original, innovative, or creative. It's an album that's designed to maximize the amount of drunken dancing and jolly rhythms with those fans in mind who go see the Dropkicks / FM tour every time it comes to town regardless of how many times they've already seen it. And this is where the very strength of the album lies: it doesn't try to be something it's not. Though the melodies might be just a notch below the seminal ones delivered by Dropkick Murphys album after album, they aren't so by a long shot. Reading is closer to Dublin anyway than Boston or Los Angeles, so why not?

"Tales From The Wasteland" is also a folk punk album that lives up to all of the clichés of the genre: you know exactly what you're getting. But that's kind of the point with albums like these. It's good enough to convince even the skeptics go get on their dancing shoes, and though it's not a classic by any means, it's a worthy addition to your folk punk arsenal of party anthems.

7

Download: Wasteland, Mongrel
For the fans of: Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly
Listen: Myspace

Release date 31.10.2011
Bomber Music

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