First Impressions: American Slang

The Gaslight Anthem, in every review I've ever read, has invariably been compared to Bruce Springsteen. New Jersey heartland rock sound certainly has a pigeon-hole. This is their third full-length, following up the much acclaimed '59 Sound. Here are my initial responses:

American Slang
They start anthemic early. That fist-pumping rock sound is definitely a style that's gotta be hard to break out of.

I don't think Brian Fallon's voice has the gravitas to really sell the sound they're going for.

"I've got your name tattooed inside of my arm." I feel like I'll be able to pick out a line from every song that I really like.

A good tone-setting opener.

Stay Lucky
A bit more playful on the pacing/riff for this track.

"Mama never told me there'd be days like these 'til it was much too late to recover."

Once again, I don't hear any frustration or fury in this song. It's like Fallon is telling stories about people he knew from his own home town, like a reporter more than a participator.

Bring It On
My roommate walking through the room: "Is this Lucero?" Me. "Yeah, basically."

I'm trying to not be a hater. I really like this style of music. I like that bands like this exist. But, there has to be something that distinguishes you from the others. And on initial impressions I feel like I've hear these songs before.

The Diamond Church Street Choir
Nice change of pace track.

Great hook!

And the Springsteen imagery is pretty thinly veiled on this one: "And the cars pass by in the rain/University boys and the girls fill the bars/While I'm just waiting for the light to change/And the steam heat pours from the bodies on the floor"

OK. If you're going to do anthemic rock, crank that guitar! If you're going to come in massive on the chorus; get massive! I find my head bobbing along, but not the teeth-gritting, neck tensing I should be doing on such a nice hook. Production fail, I think.

The Queen of Lower Chelsea
Another mid-pacer.

This songs a bit soft/affected for my taste. It seems like it was meant to get girls into the band. Which means it felt calculating.

Orphans
Here we go! This is what I want from The Gaslight Anthem. Something a bit breakneck with a hint of tension, and some emphatic vocals.

"But the clothes I wore just don't fill my soul anymore." Alright. Probably the best track on the album so far. This is a song that Craig Finn should have written but didn't.

Link to lyrics. Read. Very good. http://lyrics.wikia.com/The_Gaslight_Anthem:Orphans

Boxer
I think this song sounds most emblematic of their overall sound, which is unfortunate. There's nothing guttural, just tired and recycled imagery that's been played out again and again. Like, boxing as a metaphor. Come on...

Old Haunts
I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that this is prosaic songwriting. Bands like the Hold Steady, the National, Constantines, Drive-By Truckers, etc. don't have to write songs that have already been written. Not to say they don't wear their influences on their sleeves; they just don't evoke the automatic "homage" status that I think plagues TGA (and the reason why every review automatically uses Springsteen as a reference point).

The Spirit of Jazz
Another good stab at the fast-paced track/strong foray into the anthemic chorus. But once again, same arguments.

The bassline bounces on the track like something off of American Idiot, if you can believe it.

Fallon's vocals sound a bit affected here.

We Did It When We Were Young
This song has a nice slow build. Definitely an appropriate closing track.

Listening to this album it really surprises me that Milwaukee's The Championship isn't bigger. I would put any of their work up against this album and probably prefer it.


Overall: I know I've been pretty negative here, but I don't mean to be. There is a lot of good. The songwriting on the whole is emotive, succinct and oftentimes gut-wrenching. But, as previously stated, there is a certain recycle factor to them. I've heard these stories before in Springsteen and Strummer, which makes me wonder if Brian Fallon ever experienced a lot of what he sings about, or if he just liked the imagery/narratives in his favorite songs enough to want to write songs like that. Then, I might go further and say I'd like to see songs from them about the stories that enraptured them from within their favorite songs. I'm sure that's been done too; but it feels more honest than this.

Best Listened To: Live. It has to be. The production missteps (soft guitars/vocals) have to be corrected live with sheer tenacity and volume.

Thanks,
Erik