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Sunday, December 18, 2011

REVIEW - THE SWAGGERIN' GROWLERS "Outlaw Waltz" (2011)

The Swaggerin' Growlers "Outlaw Waltz" Thugly Goose Records
Release date: October 1st, 2011
Running time: 39:41, 11 tracks

What have in common The Swaggerin’ Growlers and The Dreadnoughts? Both of them feel umconfortable under the “Celtic” label and therefore their music is open to other influences. Apart from that, I guess that both of them are essentially live bands.

Outlaw Waltz” is the third album by the Boston folk-punk-riot band. Once again the album is a gumbo of punk, folk, Irish music, country music, circus music, waltz … Normally musicians and fans complain because the spirit of live performance is difficult to find on studio recordings. I have never attended to a Swaggerin’ Growlers gig, but I can say that this SG album must be close to a real live experience.

Some tracks that you should check out: “The Booze Will Flow” (a Bloody Irish Boys sounding song), “The Legendary Fred Simard” (a circus music song à la Dreadnoughts), “Six Strings and Gasoline” (if you loved “A Pint and a Fight” by Calico Street Riot, you will enjoy this too), “All I Want” (sort of ska featuring the reel “The Musical Priest”)… I would have changed the order of some tracks and I would have placed track no. 9, “Reckless”, at the end of the album. IMHO, it would work better than “Outlaw Waltz” as closing track.

Unfortunately, The Swaggerin’ Growlers live schedule is not so busy as that of other similar bands and, as far as I know, they have never toured Europe. Thus, SG keep on being an underrated band (at least on this side of the ocean) and some fans are not familiar with them. If you are a Dreadnoughts fan, you are sad because they have decided to call their quits and you have never heard The Swaggerin’ Growlers, maybe it’s time you checked the SG whole discography. You’ll love them.


Tracklist:

01 - The Booze Will Flow 3:52
02 - Before The Morning Comes 3:24
03 - The Legendary Fred Simard 4:11
04 - Six Strings and Gasoline 2:48
05 - All I Want 3:24
06 - Other Side 3:54
07 - Kingdom of Fear 4:06
08 - Contents Explosive 2:34
09 - Reckless 4:28
10 - Carry Me Away 3:05
11 - Outlaw Waltz 3:30

http://theswaggeringrowlers.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/swaggeringrowlers
http://www.facebook.com/swaggeringrowlers
http://www.myspace.com/theswaggeringrowlers

Review by Kinksmarkham


2 comments:

  1. True fact: The Song "The Legendary Fred Simard" was actually written around me meeting up with Fred Simard (a magnificent party thrower) and Kyle from the Dreadnoughts for a trip down cider road. I couldn't get my passport in time to meet up with everyone, so I wrote that song instead - we're all avid Ciderheads, really.

    Great Review!

    Cheers,
    Swagger

    PS: We're working on getting the money up to tour Europe. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. :-D

    ReplyDelete