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Behold the mighty and magnificent Sleeveens, authors of one of the greatest punk rock debut albums of recent memory! Today they return with their highly anticipated sophomore effort, National Anthem — released on the beyond-iconic Goner Records. The Sleeveens — Stefan Murphy, James Mechan, Ryan Sweeney, and Eli Steele — have been wowing just about everyone who has heard or seen them since they came storming out of Nashville (and Dublin) three years ago. The subsequent singles "UFO's" and "Downtown" were more than satisfying, but a new album is what we've really been craving ever since the first one was released on Dirtnap Records in early 2024. I must admit that I went to bed last night with the giddy anticipation of hearing National Anthem when I woke up this morning. So was I disappointed? Come on! While it's certainly too soon for me to be lobbing grandiose superlatives into the ether, I can say that The Sleeveens have risen to the occasion of following an acclaimed debut. And that's never easy to do.
If you loved the first album, you will almost certainly love National Anthem as well. The Sleeveens haven't veered far from the approach that worked so well last time: catchy, hard-driving punk rock 'n' roll full of genuine heart and soul. But this album is by no means a knock-off of its predecessor. This is such a unique band since Murphy is not necessarily writing "punk" songs. He brings a broad array of musical and life influences to his songwriting process. He writes the songs, and then they become Sleeveens songs once they are arranged and recorded by the full band. It's no wonder that people hear this group and immediately notice this is something quite different from anything else that's out there. And yet it all comes together as if the music gods had deemed it. Where else are you going to hear a Southern garage punk rock 'n' roll band fronted by an Irish poet?
For various reasons, the comparisons to Reigning Sound and Compulsive Gamblers will be inevitable. But there's so much more to The Sleeveens than that. National Anthem has its share of blistering rockers. The 1-2 punch of "If I Was a Casual" and "I Was Born on a Saturday Night" opens the album with the proverbial bang. "Long Black Summer" is in a similar vein. But overall, this is a nicely varied set of songs. "My Pretend Boyfriend" is the closest The Sleeveens have ever come to power pop. "Town Of Horseheads," a new arrangement of one of Murphy's old songs, is a droning, moody number that closes Side 1 in epic fashion. "The Rat" is a cover The Walkmen's early 2000s post-punk classic, done Sleeveens style. "Ernest and Julio" is a straight-forward pub rocker. "Six Counties Punk" could almost be The Clash. "High Babies, Low Babies" is an impassioned blast of darker melodic punk. "Cowboy Queen" is vintage Sleeveens, and that's something I will never tire of. The title track, an unflinching indictment of America under the current regime, has the feel of a folk ballad. A less musically aggressive approach proved really effective on this track because you feel the weight and conviction of every word that comes out of Murphy's mouth. To say he doesn't hold back his feelings would be an understatement. Talk about an anthem for the moment!
I never envy a band that has the task of following a nearly perfect debut album. That first album arrives, and people are approaching it with a blank slate. They have nothing to compare it to, and so they can just enjoy it for what it is. But then comes the next album, and it arrives with lofty expectations. I can't speak for The Sleeveens and their intentions, but it seems like they didn't fall into the trap of overthinking this record. They just did their thing. Stefan Murphy is one of the most talented and prolific songwriters on the planet, and The Sleeveens are a dynamite rock 'n' roll band. Put those two things together, and it's hard to screw it up. I won't even bother comparing National Anthem to the first album. On its own merits, it's a great record — and an inspired one, too. These are songs you crank up loud not just to entertainment yourself but to energize your soul. Murphy writes songs about his life, life in general, and the world at large. While not a "political" album per se, National Anthem certainly has its moments where it speaks to what's going on in the world. And in 2026, why wouldn't it? This is a band that matters making music that matters, and we are lucky to live in a world that has The Sleeveens in it.
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