Artist: The Gaslight Anthem
Album: Handwritten
Release date: July 24, 2012
buzz factor: 2/5
Ever since @JADEDPUNKHULK became a twitter phenomenon, he has been poking fun at The Gaslight Anthem, bashing the now-veterans of the current punk scene. In reaction to TGA’s latest record, Handwritten, Hulk tweeted: “HULK WOULD REVIEW THIS NEW GASLIGHT ANTHEM ALBUM BUT HONESTLY THERE ONLY SO MANY ZZZ’S HULK CAN FIT IN TWEET.” Unfortunately, he may be right.
Handwritten is not the rager of an album that fans might expect after hearing its first single, “45.” Also the lead track, this song has everything that a Gaslight song should have: charming throwback, if a little bit cliché lyrics (“Heeey, turn the record over”), Brian Fallon’s Springsteen-esque vocals, and most importantly the punk-rock energy and attitude that got them to where they are in the first place. That energy is what the rest of the album is lacking.
Handwritten is much softer than any of The Gaslight Anthem’s previous efforts. It also sounds more southern rock-influenced. Steady, heavy drumbeats on tracks like “Here Comes My Man” and “Mullholland Drive” have a bit of country in them, but “Keepsake” all but asks fans to don cowboy boots and stomp along. Wailing guitar and harmonica make the track sound like Bruce Springsteen collaborating with Lynyrd Skynyrd. “Too Much Blood” is equally twangy but also showcases Fallon taking his voice to some strange levels where I’m not sure it should go. Think Beyonce.
It’s not all bad though. The record picks up with “Howl,” an up-tempo track that hearkens back to Gaslight’s earlier recordings. Short and sweet, it starts with a chorus of “Heeeeey,” that persist throughout the song, eventually being overlaid with some cool, fuzzy spoken-words vocals, only to be followed by another strangely twangy track. Finally then, the album’s closer, “National Anthem” serves to ground listeners. A low-key acoustic song to end a record is something of a Gaslight tradition (see Sink Or Swim’s “Red At Night”)
The Gaslight Anthem went for a more mature sound on this record. Having made the switch to major label Mercury Records, this shouldn’t be surprising. They’re taking themselves more seriously now, but possibly too seriously. It’s natural for a band to mature, but Fallon’s ballads of life and love just don’t sound the same when they lack the fire evident in his band’s previous recordings.