The brand new album is a well-balanced list of self-penned songs (7 tracks) and covers (5 tracks). Firkin felt that another turn of the wheel was needed for their sound and therefore they have bet on a live and crazier sound than usual. From the very first notes of “All is Well” this “change” is noticed. At the beginning one would think that it’s a Celkilt song, but Firkin showcase their metal side straightaway on this kick-ass cut. On the next tracks, the band that comes to mind is The Mahones. “One More Pint”, “Those Irish Punk Girls” and “We are the Ones” are fast-paced songs based on infectious tin whistle, powerful guitars and vocals antics that rival with The Mahones attitude on their last albums.

After that storm, some moments of calm are needed to recover. PJ and his band mates have chosen the suitable song, the traditional  “Lily of the West”. The Celtic punk volcano is back with the next numbers, the brilliant “Your Oddyssey” were Firkin move to The Real McKenzies territory, and “Hold My Beer”, an excellent pub song to sing along.

The next tracks are two covers, “Nancy Whisky” and “Spancil Hill”. The former gets an upbeat treatment with electric guitar and flute, while the latter features interesting fiddling.

Three more songs are delivered before the album comes to its end. “Awaken the Iron” is a superb pirate number with fantastic flute and epic vocals. “Galway Girl” has become a standard and nowadays every single band is covering this song by Steve Earle. Nevertheless, Firkin have done the impossible. They have “firkinized” the song and the final result is incredibly good. “We are the Ones” ends up with a new version of “Flowers” featuring Hungarian folk singer Ági Szalóki on guest vocals.

My opinion? Nobody could expect this master piece after their great “Into the Night” EP from 2017. “Into the Night” was very, very good, but “We are the Ones” is a true gem: great production, perfect sound and a band at the peak of its career.