The Sleeveens - The Sleeveens (2024) Hi-Res

Last year, The Sleeveens made a memorable entrance with Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls, a track I consider to be a modern classic in the realm of pub rock-‘n’-roll. When your first release hits this level of greatness, you naturally set extremely high expectationsfor what comes next, especially when the trustworthy ears of Dirtnap Records announce they will release your self-titled debut. Now that the record is out, does it live up to those expectations?

Absolutely! With still ten-and-a-half months left in the year, Josh Rutledge has nearly declared it his album of the year. While I may not go that far just yet, I’m thoroughly enjoying it. The decision to kick off the record with their established hit speaks volumes. It’s telling that rather than losing steam, the album maintains its strength throughout. Among the track list is a nice cover of Undertones Get Over You, and songs like Metallica Font and Aretha Franklin sound particularly bright.

The Sleeveens relive the spirit and sound of late ’70s punk and pub rock from UK/Ireland with a winning combo of classic rock-‘n’-roll guitar work and vocals perfectly suited for the genre. I hope to catch this band live someday because while the record will sound fantastic on my turntable, I can only imagine how electrifying they must be onstage!