About a year and a half ago, I was lucky enough to catch Booze and Glory at a small venue in New Jersey. I didn’t know much about the band and I don’t think I had listened to any of their songs at that point. But they caught my attention immediately. I was blown away by the power and passion of their songs and how well they sounded in a small dive bar. My only regret was that I wasn’t able to sing along with the rest of the crowd. And I remember hoping that their records sounded just as good. And they do.

After touring the world endlessly and playing venues both large and small, the London based group has released their fifth LP, Hurricane. And it showcases everything that’s great about the band, all while enhancing their working class oi sound with the addition of organ and piano. As with their previous records, the strength of this album lies in the band’s ability to write barroom singalongs that translate well on stage. Songs like “Ticking Time”, “ 10 Years”, “The Guvnor”, and “Three Points” (and many others on the record) are boosted by gang vocals and high harmonies, as well as melodic octaves and sea shanty-esque lead riffs.

Besides the sound, one of my favorite characteristics about Booze and Glory is their capability to write such positive songs, even in the face of adversity. Over and over, this message of “I’ll rise again” is clearly conveyed. Songs like “Never Again”, “My Heart is Burning”, “Live it Up”, and “Too Soon” are great examples of this. One of the few exceptions though is on “Darkest Night”, which portrays a pretty grim picture of the effects of war.

With this release and a recent tour with Dropkick Murphys, Booze and Glory will most likely pick up some new fans. And as they continue to write such passionate, uplifting songs, old fans should definitely enjoy this fifth installment. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the chance, but I hope to catch them live again sometime soon. Next time, though, I’ll be singing along.