Here's Mud in Yer Eye is exactly what you'd expect to hear from a band that grew up listening less to the Chieftains and the Dubliners, more to the Pogues and ... well, pretty much just the Pogues. The difference is, while a lot of those bands don't have the chops to pull off that kind of aggressive punk-Celtic slam blast, London-Irish band Neck bloody well does.

The music on Here's Mud in Yer Eye is rowdy, maybe a little pissed off and audibly fueled by Bushmill's and stout.

The recording is filled with old faves and original tracks. The originals are a mixed bag, with the song "Topless Mary Poppins" turning out not to be half so good as the title would suggest, while the instrumental track "A Fistful of Shamrock" is a beautiful blast of music. As for the trad bits, anyone who's been in an Irish pub on a pivotal day of sport is going to love this rendition of "The Fields of Athenry."

The six-piece band is led by Leeson O'Keeffe, who cut his teeth with Shane MacGowan's Popes. The overall instrumentation is fast and loud and pumping smoke. The only problem is, as the Pogues themselves could tell you, the singer has a hard time making himself understood. Or, who knows, maybe he's not really trying -- on an album like this, vocal enthusiasm is more important than vocal clarity. And these lads have enthusiasm, right enough, and more rock than Cashel.

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