The Rumjacks

Brass For Gold [EP] (2022)

Rose Eden

“Oh just what the world needs - another Celtic punk band.” - Lou Koller, Sick Of It All.

The other week around St. Patrick’s Day I was scrolling Instagram and happened upon Lou commenting the above quote which basically made me snort from laughter, but I digress because there is some truth to the matter. It really does seem like there’s 101 Irish/Celtic/folk punk, etc. bands out there right now and although they collectively have a distinctive sound, very few of them stand apart from the pack. In February 2022 however, an EP was released that has not only caught my attention but has stuck with me ever since: Brass For Gold by The Rumjacks.

When I think about Sydney, Australia based band The Rumjacks I essentially think about a bunch of hustlers but in a good way: Throughout the past 2 years of lockdowns and quarantines I quietly watched the Celtic ska/punk band work non stop to produce their fifth studio length album Hestia in March 2021. They then turned around and almost immediately churned out EP Lost Along The Way in August 2021, then Brass For Gold more recently on February 11, 2022.

While in abbreviated form with eight tracks, the EP recorded in Milan, Italy at Crono Sound Factory shines as some of The Rumjacks’ best work to date as they’ve welcomed new vocalist Mike Rivkees onboard and recently embarked on a just wrapped US tour with The Bombpops. The Rumjacks are now fittingly on a current European leg with The Dropkick Murphys after a mostly sold out St. Patrick’s Day domestic run with the iconic Boston based band.

Speaking of DKM, the EP kicks off with track “Bounding Main”, a sailor’s song about shipping out of town with that familiar upbeat Irish tinged energy the Murphys historically bring. “Forward is the way because the past is all you’ve known”, sings Rivkees who is awfully convincing as their lead singer: with buttery, well enunciated vocals, the newly crowned front man has a certain sense of earnestness to his singing; imagine sort of a more refined sounding version of Mike McColghan, with all due respect.

“Bloodsoaked In Chorus” is the second track and one of my personal favorites because of how it caught me off guard: I love how this particular band sews Hellcat Records era ska into their sound and the track delivers with a “pick it up!” beat that would fit nicely onto an Interrupters record, but just for example. By utilizing the flute and other traditional folk instruments to provide both texture and character throughout the highly danceable track, they create a immersion of sound that is uniquely all their own.

In fact I almost feel as if bands like The Rumjacks could single handedly bring back the Give ‘Em The Boot era as they so remind me of many of the groups that made that compilation and label infamous the way that DKM, Flogging Molly, and Rancid did back in the day. If anything, The Rumjacks are in the forefront of a new generation of bands who, like The Interrupters are carrying on that same legacy of ska tinged punk rock, but done their own way with a high energy Celtic twist.

The Rumjacks recently released a new lyric video for single “Kicking Soles” which reminds me very much of The Pogues post Sally McLennane era and is also a good transition into the more seriously themed following singalong track “On A Somber Saturday” for which they’ve also released a lyric video for. The next song is another favorite of mine, “Across The Water” and showcases the complexities of Rivkees’ vocals who sounds an awful lot like a young Mike Ness or Lars Fredricksen on the 1-2-3-4! style street rock n roll tune as he effortlessly switches from softly crooning to belting out the lyrics in a way an entire arena could pump their fists along to.

“One For The Road” and “Blinding Flashes” are the two more traditional Irish/Celtic folk style numbers on the EP, with the former reminding me of “Finnegan’s Wake” from Do Or Die and the latter any number of Flogging Molly tracks over the years. The duo of songs do their part in breaking up the mini album stylistically, and are sandwiched in between both the ska infused and more serious songs respectively to keep the flow of the album interesting.

“Falling Back” is the final track and it has nice touches of Americana country music with a twangy banjo, tight accordion, and driving bass line that would be more than comfortable in a Cash or Haggard throwback tune, especially if it was played on a stand up. Somehow the song leaves you wanting more from the band but not in a negative way; The Rumjacks seem to use the final track as a way to say so long for now… we’ll be back with more later.

Something tells me that at the rate they’re going with both recording and touring they’ll have notebooks filled with lyrics for new songs in no time. This band is noticeably one of the hardest working actively touring bands in punk rock right now, and I’m as curious as I am delighted to see where this next year takes them both on the road and in the studio. I like reviewing EPs because I can touch on each track which isn’t something I can always do with an LP review for brevity’s sake so I jumped on the opportunity to review Brass For Gold because I firmly believe that The Rumjacks are on the precipice of something really big, and I’m so glad to see them get the acknowledgement they deserve by touring with cornerstone acts like the Murphys for example. The Rumjacks are great for fans of The Real McKenzies, The Interrupters, Flogging Molly, The Bridge City Sinners, and Rancid, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings for them.