Fat Wreck Chords – July 3, 2020
No songs of love gone bad here, only odes to beer gone good.
The Real McKenzies are approaching their 30th anniversary after forming in 1992 and its not surprising to hear on their 11th full length album, Beer and Loathing, that they are perfecting the Celtic-Punk form. While perhaps not as well-known as the Dropkick Murphys nor as tenured as The Pogues, the Real McKenzies belong in the bagpipe-punk conversation next to those names.
My original experience hearing the kilted Canadians was on the seminal 1999 compilation Short Music for Short People, and “Old Mrs Cuddy” did not impress me. This was the first time I’d heard a Celtic-punk track I wasn’t into and as far as I was concerned, I had no reason to give them another try.
Thank the gods for the free samplers of the 90s and early 2000s, because the appearance of “Wild Cattieyote” on Fat’s 2001 sampler Floyd… And Out Come the Teeth, convinced me to give the Real McKenzies a second chance. I’ve been loyally and happily listening to them since.
Beer and Loathing as a title is right in line with the clever titles of past releases such as Clash of the Tartans (1998), Loch’d and Loaded (2001) and Oot and Aboot (2003), and as an album its so much better than those early releases. Like my relationship with Real McKenzies, the album takes some time before heating up. Opening with the instrumental call-to-arms, A Widow’s Watch,” and followed by the slow and methodical “Overtourn Bridge” the record is not an immediate attention grabber, luckily the pace does begin to pick up.
I was a little worried that with the widespread bar closures of recent months, the band might get a little lonely and deep but “Beer and Loathing” and “Cock Up Your Beaver” prove the focus remains firmly on whiskey and song, pub songs as they were intended; rowdy and fun. The Real McKenzies have once again included their obligatory traditional Scottish shanties revamped to match the punk stylings, this time in the form of “The Ballad of Cpl. Hornburg” and “A Seafarer’s Return.”
At this point in their career it seems like The Real McKenzies will not be trying too hard to update their style, and that is wonderful news as the have finally seemed to really perfect things on Beer and Loathing. Like a proper scotch, The Real McKenzies have aged gracefully in a way that accentuates their notes and flavors without being overbearing. If bagpipes, barroom anthems and fast punk are up your alley, do yourself a favor and saddle up to the bar with a Canadian whiskey and drink this record in.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
