The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound
Released: August 18, 2008
Label: SideOneDummy
New Jersey doesn’t seem to deliver a great many things of interest. Hardly surprising when you consider it’s nickname (the “Garden State”) and that fact that it is overshadowed by it’s close neighbout, New York.
And then, from completely off the rader, came the Gaslight Anthem.Sounding like the result of a drunken tryst including Bruce Springsteen and the Killers, the New Jersey quartet pull together elements of punk, folk and blues into something that’s as perfect for a midnight drive with your sweetheart as it is for drinking with your buddies.
The follow-up 2007’s Sink or Swim LP, Gaslight’s latest offering brought them to the bigtime, including slots on Jay Leno and David Letterman. Not without good reason either; The ‘59 Sound is a solid record throughout.
Each song is so strong that it becomes hard to predict the singles, or even pick a stand-out track. Album opener ‘Great Expectations’ sets the tone straight away, while the title track’s almost Cure-like guitar and big chorus shows the band can manage variety and a consistent sound at the same time - something even bands with 20 years experience sometimes struggle with.
What follows is track-after-track of, basically, genius. For twelve straight songs, Brian Fallon’s voice creates amazing pictures of love, loss and friendship, while the rest of the band - Rosamilia, Levine and Horowitz - surround it all with beautiful music that sounds equal parts the Clash and Johnny Cash.
Without question, the album of 2008.
Rating: 10 out of 10 Beans
