25 Records of Christmas, Day 16: The Gaslight Anthem

A good solid rock record was sort of hard to come by this year. Sure we had some good ones throughout the year, but when it came to the real genre of rock music, the indie folk groups and electronic-infused groups didn’t really fit into that mold. The Gaslight Anthem returned this year with Handwritten, a collection of 14 tracks that continue their raw and rash version of simply good rock tunes. I hadn’t listened to the band much before this, but I got into Handwritten for a pretty good reason (at least I think so).

While I have listened to TGA’s previous albums, I discovered the band really for the first time through The Horrible Crowes’ debut album last year. The Horrible Crowes is more of a folky, acoustic version of TGA, and the debut Elsie was a perfect soundtrack for dark, lonely nights (of which I had a few last year). So thanks to Brian Fallon and Ian Perkins for putting that record out. But because of my immense gratitude of The Horrible Crowes, I got into TGA. I really don’t think there could have been a better time. Handwritten is a fantastic record.

The Gaslight Anthem hails from New Brunswick, NJ.

Fallon’s raspy vocals and yells throughout the tracks gives TGA such a unique feel. The soaring guitar work through “Keepsake” matched with Fallon’s vocals remind me of a great garage rock sound, just a little more polished. The album sounds a lot closer to a live show, making me assume they recorded it live off the floor, capturing the essence of TGA from concerts. Single “Here Comes My Man” is a great ballad, mixing simple acoustic guitar and drums while Fallon sings about the loss of a love long ago. The album captures much more of what the band became popular for with their second album, The ’59 Sound, rather than the more folk/americana sound apparent on 2010‘s American Slang. 

Fallon’s songwriting has taken an even more personal turn this time around, which may or may not be a good thing. The wrenching truth in most songs turns out to work for great rock songs, like “Desire”, with questions like “What does it feel like inside? / Does it hurt you at night? / Or does it keep you alive / and set you on fire / on fire?”  Fallon touches on his own hurt in the album opener, “45”: “Have you seen my heart? / Have you seen how it bleeds? / And the nights are so long baby / out here in the deep / The tick, ticking hours, lonely.” 

TGA has the sound of a band that will live on in kids and teenagers’ minds for years to come. While many bands that share that sound will change and lose their fans over time, TGA seems to want to keep that same sound and they keep churning out records that give their fans plenty to hope for. Handwritten is a solid acoustic rock album that deserves plenty of spins this year.