There are bands that -at least in Greece- become extremely popular in a very short amount of time, while the love of the crowds for them increases in an exponential fashion. This seems to be the case with Dropkick Murphys, therefore an occasion such as the release of a new album of theirs, can only give positive feelings away. Listening to “11 Short Stories Of Pain And Glory”, not only provides what its very own name states, but also proves that in this record, the band has decided to present itself in a more “calm” state, compared with their previews releases. The presence of acoustic strings, combined with slower beats (First Class Loser, Paying My Way), is even more pronounced than it is in “Signed And Sealed In Blood”, giving a more “Celtic” identity to the new album, without nevertheless affecting the quintessential punk element of the band (I Had A Hat, Kicked To The Curb), which combined with the aforementioned “Celtic” identity, leads also to the creation of 2 songs that could potentially be premium concert material (Paying My Way, You Will Never Walk Alone), making “11” a record that provides us with all those we learned to adore in Murphys.
