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Unusual for an anti-war album, the Street Dogs' latest record, "Fading American Dream," is more akin to films such as "Gunner Palace" because lead singer Mike McColgan participated in operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
The vicious punk-rock jamming of the Street Dogs gains a justification beyond angry rallying against the government.
Also reducing the potential for whininess is McColgan's ability to go beyond concerns about weapons of mass destruction. One of the group's preferred themes is the need for labor unions in tracks such as "There is Power in a Union." Lyrics such as "Power in the hands of the worker / but it all amounts to nothing / if together we don't stand" show that McColgan is singing for the sake of the common people.
Adding a particularly catchy quality to the tunes is a feel like that of an Irish bar song that runs through many of the tracks, echoing McColgan's involvement with Dropkick Murphys.
It creates a sense of can't-bring-me-down invincibility, especially in the song "Not Without a Purpose" with the lyrics, such as "Never give up / never give in / never walk away / always fightin'!"
Ultimately, that song summarizes the feel of the album - there isn't one overarching point to make, but rather a shotgun of issues to tackle while still having a grand ol' time.
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