Jersey Anthems

As awfully emo-suggestive as their name is, New Jersey's Gaslight Anthem is a rock band that's as pure at heart as it gets. Forget the label they're signed to, their meticulously coiffed punk hair, their age, and their sleeve tattoos. This band is living proof that, thankfully, you only need to leave it up to the music to do the talking. If their appearance screams Fall Out Boy, then you will pleased to know that their music evokes Bruce Springsteen more so than anything else. And yes, this is a very good thing. Growing up in New Brunswick-- not too many turnpike exits away from The Boss' stomping ground -- it's pretty apparent that these guys have been down Thunder Road, lived not too far away Jungleland, and have witnessed the darkness on the edge of town. So I'd say they know a thing or two about their home state's greatest living legend. Their sophomore record, The '59 Sound (which, by the way, is a nod to that fateful plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens) is admittedly sculpted by Springsteen's sound, but think of this more as inspiration rather than imitation. Because quite frankly, this is just part of the story. If you listen carefully, you can find some subtle (and not so subtle) references that pay homage to some of the Gaslight Anthem's other musical heroes.

The '59 Sound begins with the cliched hiss and pop of a needle being dropped on a record. If the album's title doesn't hint at the golden days, then the first few seconds most certainly do. Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Brian Fallon's crooning voice converges with the lightning-speed pounding of drummer Benny Horowitz. For a second, you might be be fooled into thinking this is a punk rock record. Thirty seconds in, you discover that what you hear is much too melodic to be branded as punk. This is good old-fashioned rock and roll story-telling -- the kind of record the Killers tried to make with their latest effort Sam's Town. But unlike their rock brethren, the task just seems to come naturally for the Gaslight Anthem. Standout track "Old White Lincoln" boasts the bass line from the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and builds up into an explosive chorus that would make Brandon Flowers envious. "High Lonesome" literally borrows a line from the Counting Crows' "Round Here" ("Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand"). Fallon even playfully responds to this line by declaring he "always kind of sort of wished [he] looked like Elvis". The song, much like most of the album, also contains imagery that's explicitly Springsteeny -- some of the most apparent references are "classic cars" and "outlaw cowboy bands," among others. When Fallon isn't dropping hints about his idols, he flat-out tells you. On the slow first single, "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues," the singer confesses that he "still loves Tom Petty songs and driving old men crazy". The album's best songwriting perhaps resides on one of The '59 Sound's final tracks -- the sprawling ballad "Here's Lookin' At You, Kid". This one's as reminiscent of Dire Straits as it is Born In USA-era Boss (see "I'm On Fire"). I'll take this any day of the week.

Although I am well-aware that naysayers will knock this record for being contrived and unauthentic, I'm willing to overlook these inevitable criticisms. While most young pop-punks bands would opt to replicate the now tired verse-chorus-verse formula of cohorts Panic At The Disco, Boys Like Girls, and Plain White Tee's, these guys are digging a little deeper. I may be wrong here, but I'm willing to bet that Springsteen and Tom Petty tunes will outlast the latest Fall Out Boy offerings. Mix in the Gaslight Anthem's penchant for precocious songwriting, and you get a band that's on a whole different level. And I'm not just saying that because they happen to be from Jersey...

My Rating: 8.0/10