Despite gaining mainstream exposure on last year’s soundtrack to The Departed, Dropkick Murphys haven’t softened their rough edges: The band’s sixth album is a massive blast of exalted noise via shouted, sore-throat choruses and brain-crushing beats (along with a hint of bagpipes). But The Meanest of Times moves beyond just connecting the dots between working-class punk and ancient Celtic ditties, with surprisingly thoughtful songs that explore lives shaped by drunken violence and Catholicism — the brute fury of “Shattered” alone provides reason enough to listen up.
Now Hear This Dropkick Murphys – “The State of Massachusetts” WINDOWS MEDIA