Album Review :
Flatfoot 56 - Odd Boat

The tallest man in punk rock music, Tobin Bawinkel and his band of merry Celtic brethren have done it again. Towering at 6’10“, the gentle giant of punk rock comes out swinging with the first track, “Ty Cobb”. His signature gravelly, husky voice continues to stand tall amidst his Celtic punk rock counterparts. The song starts with a clip of a baseball game announcer that mixes smoothly with the guitar and then, alas, the bagpipes jump in. The second track keeps up the tone and doesn’t disappoint. A lead guitar part is thrown in and is a bit of a departure from their prior albums, but it seems to blend perfectly.

This album easily goes head to head with other bands who have paved the way for Flatfoot 56. Bands such as Dropkick Murphy’s, who in my opinion with their newest release, seemed to lose their signature aggressive tone. That is not the case here with the Windy City’s south side champs and their newest punk rock delicacy, Odd Boat. This is their 5th release and 7th overall, if you include their two Indie releases. They show no signs of slowing down. This album still maintains their rambunctious style that their fans have come to love over the years.

The album continues to press on with the third song, “Penny”. This is my favorite song thus far. The reason being, the angelic, yet haunting, female voice that comes in during the middle of the song and then when the mandolin chimes in, it is a perfect compliment to her voice. Song 6, in the middle of the album, had me fooled, as it seemed to be a softer ballad but then the rest of the band catches up and oh, yes, here comes the mandolin.

Further into the album, the song “KPM”, is a beautiful heart-stirring ballad. It starts with a voice on an answering machine. It is the perfect song to slow the albums fast pace. I pictured this song playing in the background in a Highlander movie, as the protagonist wanders over a lush Scottish hillside donning his kilt and glengarry cap.

Song 11 is the rowdiest track on the album. This was pure adrenaline that made me want to start a one man mosh pit in my living room. In my opinion, the final song is the weakest track on the album. It’s a bit slow and drags on a bit, but it is still a fitting melodic ballad to end a star studded album that has been 5 years in the making. This song may grow on me as this cd will be in rotation in my car all month. Indeed,
this album is yet another jewel in the Flatfoot catalog. I can’t really find anything wrong with this album. It has solid production, amazing bagpipe and mandolin parts that are all mixed perfectly with the rest of the band.

What do deep dish pizza and Flatfoot 56 have in common? It keeps you coming back for more. Odd Boat easily gets 5 out of 5 stars

RIYL: Dropkick Murphys, The Tossers, Flogging Molly, Dogwood