National Anthem is the second album from The Sleeveens, a Nashville, TN band fronted by an Irishman. The band play that perfect mix of protopunk and classic rock 'n' roll that's built on a verse/chorus/verse structure and melody without any frills. It's leather jacket music for the common folk.
The debut grabbed me by my collar and spun me around in the best way and National Anthem follows the same blueprint, more or less. "If I Was A Casual" is very melodic in a Ramones-y way, kicking things off in a big way. While most songs aren't so whoa-oh-oh, there are all built on the melodic, earworm formula.
A pattern that has developed over two records is that songwriter Stefan Murphy likes to reflect on growing up, with slice-of-life '80-'90s references forming a bond with listeners (of a certain age) over shared experiences. Last time, "Metallica Font" pulled you into a time and place. This time around, it's "Cowboy Queen" kind of seems like a sequel to that song.
While you'll get your protopunk influences here, the record does turn a few new directions. "Town of Horseheads" and "Six Counties Punk" incorporate some Irish elements (the latter making be think of Stiff Little Fingers), and the political not-quite-a-ballad title track leans heavily on the band's authentic tone and expat angle to really strike a chord about the damage that the Trump administration is doing not just to America, but far and wide. The band makes a few clear political statements on the album (titled National Anthem after all), yet I wouldn't call it a "political album," per se. The content blends seamlessly into the music.
If I had to rank 'em, this record feels a touch too similar to their debut. It's a weird knock, since I love that album, but it doesn't quite hit me as hard the second time around. All the same, the best songs on here are great and, all in all, it's a 12-song collection of pick-me-up singalongs that hit both lyrically and musically. What more can you ask for?
