('The real ' - Anglophile rock)

In its fourth release, Blackout, The Dropkick Murphys show why they are everyone's favorite barroom heroes: hard rocking, Celtic-influenced tunes that are tightly produced and sound great. \nThe lead singers' unique voices -- Al Barr's deep gruffness and Ken Casey's throaty wailing -- complement one another throughout the 14 songs. Blackout also infuses the tin whistle, mandolin and accordion into various numbers. And bagpiper Scruffy Wallace makes the screechy instrument resonate beautifully. \nThe album's subject matter covers many working class topics, including deadbeat dads ("Walk Away"), the plight of America's downtrodden ("Worker's Song") and broken dreams ("This Is Your Life"). Traditional Irish favorites "Fields of Athenry" and "Black Velvet Band" get the Murphy's treatment -- a.k.a. a swift kick in the arse -- yet retain enough cultural integrity to make any Irishman proud. \nBy far, the best, and most humorous, song is "The Dirty Glass," a ditty of love gone wrong, which gets a hot-blooded vocal boost from sultry-voiced lass Stephanie Dougherty. \nThe scully-capped Murphys have matured with age, as evident in Blackout's songwriting and arrangement. Ken Casey's latest production showcases DKM at its finest hour: bagpipe's ablaze, drums pounding, guitars roaring and gang choruses shouting to the high heavens.