Released: Aug 19, 2008
Genre: Punk Rock, Indie Rock, Jersey Shore Sound
Label: SideOneDummy Records
Number Of Tracks: 12
The Gaslight Anthem never dissapoints, live or in the studio they leave you wanting more.
The '59 Sound
Reviewed by:
kaptink, on october 07, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: This record has been out for some time now and received a fair deal of air-play So I won't go into too much detail here. The band's overall sound is worth discussing though being both familiar yet somehow refreshing and exiting. T.G.A bring together heavy Bruce Springsteen and Americana influence with a Punk background whilst avoiding the inevitable Rockabilly pastiches that some similar bands fall into.
The musicianship on this album is pretty good too, especially lead guitarist Alex Rosamilia who as on debut album "Sink or Swim" eschews the standard solos and licks of lead guitar in favour of texturing the songs, most notably on the song "Casanova, Baby!". The Arrangement of the songs is also top-notch too stopping them from becoming stagnant and boring past the three-minute mark. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: "And in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands" This lyric from the chorus of the song "High Lonesome" is more than adequate of giving us a look into the head of Brian Fallon and what inspires him. As I have said the band bring a big Americana influence to the table and the songs bring up tales of Girls, Tom Petty songs, road-trips and Ferris wheels.
The band do delve into deeper issues alongside the nostalgia and love songs too. The title track is a look at death and loss while "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Here's Looking at You, Kid" are two great songs about having moved on from the past and growing up.
While hardly manoeuvring on untrodden ground Fallon's lyrics still manage to be powerful and interesting and complement the groups music and old-school influences perfectly. // 7
Impression: In conclusion "The '59 Sound" is a great record and well worth the money. The songs are all fairly strong and the production is well suited to a record like this. The Springsteen-esque nature of the band may put some people off but for those who are interested will find this record a treat.
One flaw that I will point out however is that "The '59 sound" seems paradoxically to be both an improvement on the band's debut and "Senor..." E.P. yet somehow missing out on the bombastic power of those records. Possibly due to the more mature nature of the album and the band's progression. This could be just my Opinion however so feel free to disagree. // 7
The '59 Sound
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on october 05, 2009 0 of 3 people found this review helpful
Sound: "Did you hear the '59 sound, coming through on grandmama's radio?". The recurring line discussing the greatness of oldies music in the title track of the sophomore effort of The Gaslight Anthem is evident throughout the album. Utilizing the Jersey Shore sound of Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and melodic punk of the Bouncing Souls and Social Distortion, The Gaslight Anthem evolves their sound from raw, lo-fi, and dirty garage rock, to a lyrically intelligent, musically brilliant, all around great rock-and-roll album. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Brian Fallon is a talent songwriter who uses catchy melodies and clever lyrics to create beautiful songs. While the music from Sink or Swim has evolved, the lyrics have not. Fallon still drops the occasional Counting Crows and Springsteen lyrics in his songs which is fine and the literary references are great but the nonsense lyrics such as "her hair was raven and her heart was like a tomb" have no place on what could be a perfect album. // 8
Impression: The Gaslight Anthem never dissapoints, live or in the studio they leave you wanting more. Standout tracks include "The Backseat", "Here's Looking At You, Kid", "Great Expectations", and "The '59 Sound". But all the tracks show epic brilliance in them. Having 5 weeks to produce the album as opposed to the one week for Sink or Swim really showed. The album sequencing was a little weird in terms of organizing it by energetic and non-energetic songs but other than that it truely is a great album. There are few albums that I can listen to every track and not put it down(My Chemical Romance-The Black Parad, Green Day- American Idiot, Bruce Springsteen-Darkness on the Edge of Town, etc.) and this is one of them. // 9
Also, you're "nonsense lyrics" quote is anything but nonsense, that is one of the more imaginative and visual metaphors that has been released recently.
I love these guys, i remember when i came across them last year when i was looking for a real talented band to listen to amongst the masses of average generic bands floating around the radio and this band was exactly what i was looking for. Their sound and style can be a bit derivative at times, but they are a lot better than many younger bands around imo. They are full of great soul and vibe and a real joy to listen to on car journeys. They wear their influences on their sleeves and play some crackin tunes
Love the Album, Film Noir was one of my favorites. They definitely got me with the throw back sounds. A friend let me listen to the album and I was immediately struck by the Jersey sound. Can't wait to hear more from these guys. Good job on the review. Don't agree with the last point in the review but it doesn't take away from its strengths.
I have a broad taste in music, and these guys have become my favorite band. I haven't put this album away in over a year. It always cheers me up. I can now easily say it's my favorite album of all time. Everyone has their album, that one album that they just love. A lot of musicians have London Calling, Nevermind, etc, and this album is mine.
