The Peelers – Down and Out in the City of the Saints

The Montreal music scene is known for many things, but Irish punk is not one of them.  Even the local punk rock pillar Stomp Records hasn’t signed any Iocal Irish-punk talent – until now.  Celtic-punk act The Peelers has been contributing to the genre since they formed in 1999, garnering international recognition in their niche, and more recently migrating from Ontario to Quebec.  After over two decades since their inception, the band finally joins forces with Stomp Records for the release of their third full length, Down and Out in the City of the Saints.  The group’s twenty-plus year career has been anything but prolific in terms of studio releases (having released two releases prior to their decade-long hiatus), but as their latest ten-track effort makes clear, The Peelers have always been a case of quality over quantity.

The album opens with “Give Us a Roar,” a quick-paced, rough and tumble outing that wastes no time getting down to business.  Complete with a big finale boasting gang vocals, luxurious fiddle strokes, and an energizing call to rise to your feet and “give us a roar,” it’s the type of song sure to bring a crowd to life.  The Peelers perform with all the vigor of The Tossers and swagger of Flogging Molly.  The band employs Eric Diamond on tin whistle alongside Johnny Moorman’s furious fiddle in “Stick and Move” to similar boot-stomping effect.  Following such intensity, the title track doesn’t afford as much as a chance to catch your breath, pummelling listeners like a shamrock-gloved boxer fresh off a pint.  The band rattles off lines faster than you can keep up with, but that doesn’t stop them from weaving in sharp and intelligent lyrics.  “I’m the cavalier rake on the back of a mare, Saddled with hard luck and ill” sings frontman Dave Barton, flourishing lines with vivid imagery and metaphors of being down and out.  Other tracks like the bagpipe-heavy “Spirits Seldom Sober” up the energy for a modern pub crawl classic with the final, gang bolstered choral chant, “it was an angel that put it in his hands, but the devil made him drink it!”  Barton is a poetic songsmith, and during these passages the lyrics shine brightly.

While Down and Out in the City of Saints is a quick and dirty ten tracks, that doesn’t mean The Peelers aren’t able to appreciate stepping back and smelling the roses – even if the roses smell of sweat and booze.  With a little piano number, a healthy dose of toned-down folky strumming, and a tale of memory and longing to tug at your heartstrings, “Last Glass” trots along earnestly.  “And what if this is our last glass / Just know I loved you all along / If all we’ve done is all we have / And all I’ve left you is this song” sings Barton, reminding listeners that everything has an endpoint and to value each moment without reserve.  As is clear from beginning to end, Barton is a poet in a punk band, offering more than just stadium filling choruses, providing both substance and purpose in each word – making The Peelers more akin to The Dreadnoughts than The Dropkick Murphys.

With Down and Out in the City of Saints The Peelers have once again lived up to their reputation as quality purveyors of Irish-punk.  Their brand will be familiar to anyone that’s enjoyed the stylings of Flogging Molly, The Mahones, The Pogues and so forth.  The distinct Irish inspiration gives them further character within their niche that serves as a mark of pride and identity.  Down and Out in the City of Saints is exactly what you’d want and expect from seasoned veterans like The Peelers, making the album an essential listen for any fan of celtic punk.