The Briggs

The first thought on hearing this is that the Briggs are simply another Dropkick Murphys clone, which means you’ve got the sing-along choruses, the simple-sounding four-chord street punk and vocals half sung/half growled. But under the surface are a passionate, honest, ’70s-influenced punk rock band. The songs are deceptively catchy, up-beat numbers that, while definitely giving a nod to the aforementioned DM, are also equal parts UK Subs and US Bombs. Songs like "What Was I Thinking?” offer catchy-as-hell choruses and make a depressing topic sound hopeful and triumphant. "Until Someone Gets Hurt” sports a breakdown that almost sounds over-produced but manages to come off sounding epic and powerful. The verses of "This Ship is Now Sinking” combine a dark melody with an upbeat tempo and strumming to make for something that sounds familiar but still stands apart from the crowd. And that’s where the Briggs find their charm: they manage to take an over-played genre and make it sound refreshing and relevant.