The Real McKenzies
Westwinds
Vancouver, BC
(Fat Wreck Chords)
“Bagpipe punk from the Great White North”
Aging gracefully is a tough thing to do, and is even more difficult when you wear a kilt and play the bagpipes. Formed in 1992, the Real McKenzies are a group of old-as-dirt punks that have been on tour for most of their career. Traditionally known for playing fast-as-lightening punk songs accompanied by traditional Celtic instrumentation, Westwinds finds the group slowing down a little and paying homage to some of their folk influences. This isn’t a bad thing; the McKenzies can still write a very catchy tune, this is just a warning to anyone looking for a new circle pit anthem that this collection is better suited for the deck of a pirate ship (not joking either, check out the opening track or the a cappella rendition of “Barrett’s Privateers”). There are a few clunkers (I could have done without “Hallowe’en”) but all in all the McKenzies are doing their best to stay on the road and keep the dream alive. Catch them, inevitably, on tour.
Recorded and Mixed at Crabapple Downs by Steve Loree