Review: Gaslight Anthem, Handwritten
It appears to be business as usual for The Gaslight Anthem
with their fourth studio album ‘Handwritten’. Their punk laden debut ‘Sink or
Swim’ quickly gave way to a more commercial effort in the hugely successful ’59
Sound,’ while their third effort ‘American Slang’ disappointed many fans with
poorer production detracting from what was undoubtedly a collection of
excellent songs. The transition from ‘Sink or Swim’ to ‘American Slang’ and a
side project with the Horrible Crowes has developed the overall sound into a
much more complete and balanced package.
Critics will fall into the old trap of saying the band sound
exactly the same as their previous two albums but there is a maturity and a
professionalism about ‘Handwritten’ that has replaced the rawness of earlier
records. Fallon’s writing topics are those of a man grown and no longer those
of an embittered teenager fuelled by rage and a sense of injustice. The focus
is less about the ‘loss of youth’ Fallon discusses at length on other albums
and more about the writer’s reflections as an adult, seeing his past and future
in a new light. ‘Keepsake’ discusses Fallon’s troubled family history while
‘Too Much Blood’ and title track, ‘Handwritten’ are testimony to the more
personal content of the songs on the album. If the music hasn’t changed
significantly the lyrical content and song writing has matured to such a degree
that each song has its own distinct voice and story despite a Status Quo like
repetition of chords. As Nick Hornby writes in the enclosed booklet ‘The
Gaslight Anthem sound fresh’ as they ‘carry on the tradition...in [their] own
voice.’
First single ’45’, ‘Desire’ and ‘Howl’ are the typical fast
paced rockers Gaslight fans have become accustomed to while ‘Biloxi Parish’,
debuted at recent live performances, is arguably the best track on the album.
‘National Anthem’ is this album’s acoustic offering and easily sits with
‘Navesink Banks’ and ‘Blue Jeans And White T-Shirts’ as some of Fallon’s best
writing to date. ‘Mae’ reveals Fallon’s romanticism with a soft, heartfelt
chorus ‘You can lean into me if you ain’t been in love for a while’ while the
song title could be a reference to classic film star Mae West, adding to the
long list of Gaslight Anthem references to classic cinema.
‘Blue Dahlia’, included only on the deluxe version should
have been on the album proper. Structurally and musically it’s a step forward
for the band and pushes the limits of their established sound. To issue a
‘deluxe edition’ which includes two covers and one of the best tracks the band
have written is not a very ‘Gaslight Anthem’ thing to do, but could be a result
of their recent shift to a major label and is only a minor criticism of what is
an excellent album.
From the first chord the listener knows exactly who they are
listening to as the Gaslight Anthem have established their own niche within the
punk/rock and roll genre. Although musically not a huge leap from the norm it
is Fallon’s lyrical content and the band’s collective song writing that has
matured with ‘Handwritten’ and the intimacy of the album alone makes it stand
out as the band’s strongest album to date.
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