Dropkick Murphys - The State of Massachussetts EP

Twelve years in and six albums on, Dropkick Murphys' brand of Irish folk-punk-rock makes them a popular live draw, yet they are still very much an acquired taste. Yes, their songs are anthemic, but there can be something almost corny about them too. This EP reaches its nadir on the lighter waving, pennywhistle-tastic Forever, which should be rousing but instead verges on cringeworthy. The knees-up fiddle on the title track ensures that another cliché of Irish music is fulfilled, while The Thick Skin of Defiance rages on about fighting the system, but struggles to become the sound of rebellion. The best cut is Breakdown, on which the band cut the crap and rock out without the elements that befall the rest of the bunch. [Graeme Blaikie]