As a sub-genre, ‘Celtic Folk Punk’ tends to be a hybrid; a combination of traditional and punk styles. Nevertheless, almost as if this seemingly instinctive concept wasn’t properly explained, along comes ‘Spud Nigger,’ a band that is Celtic (being from the very middle of the Emerald Isle), Folk (well, acoustic anyways) and Punk (in almost every other interpretation of the definition). ‘Spud Nigger’ is an acoustic punk trio out of County Westmeath. Made up of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and vocals, the three-piece outfit plays fast-moving, upbeat punk in a stripped-down, minimalist style entirely like itself and no one else. The lyrics themselves are clever, laden with locally specific terminology, (i.e. ‘The Gardai,’ ‘Donegal,’ or as in lines like “when coming off the smack you stole the bogroll in the jacks,” from ‘Cake ‘N’ Beer,) and often humorous, and, partially due to the shortage of competing sounds, distinct and easy to make out. The songs are also very sing-along-able, (although some discretion is suggested due to certain “grown-up words,” especially in the song, ‘Donegal!’) Describing Spud Nigger’s sound is not an easy task. There are elements here and there that may remind the listener of something else, (like the attitude of The Ramones every now and again, or occasional rhythms reminiscent of Nirvana,) but, as there really is no one else doing this style that I am aware of, I won’t continue to attempt this exercise. Definitely a band to watch out for.