A fine rock song, but only fine. The lyrical content here is some of the strongest on Get Hurt, surrounding this wistful mid-tempo soul searcher, with the refrain that "all in all I find that nothing stays the same. The extra twang that every guitar part on Slang seems to feature may be best on "Stay Lucky," a nice, fast tune to launch the album after the title track welcomes the listener in. Always a great driving tune.
But the big, wailing chorus is a nice bridge, and the prominence given to Alex Rosmilia's lead guitar pulls — early and often — is a cool touch. I know a handful of Gaslight diehards who cannot stand "Boxer" but I've always sort of liked the band's best try at a pop-rock song on American Slang, from the rapped lead-in and jaunty verse to the pinging guitar riff and chorus I always find myself revisiting.
Stand up for the songs you believe in, folks! This slow and steady folk-rock number — the lone new, original track on B-Sides — was a sure precursor to Fallon's impending solo career and would fit well in a live set among the singer's latest tracks. The campfire-style gang voca herel is super smooth.
The traipsing closer to Slang has grown on me over time; there's a mesmerizing quality to this song, in the metered, rolling chorus, but also in the verses, where Fallon's voice achieves great pleading as he juxtaposes the trials of love, time and death. Wading through a handful of mediocre rock jams may be worth it to reach "Dark Places" at Get Hurt's end, where that wonderful opening riff crashes like a wave and then Fallon sings about crashing waves.
It's been well reported that Get Hurt is largely a product of Fallon's divorce, and the hook here "if I thought it would help I would carve your name into my heart" cuts extra deep.
The searing hard-rock album opener "Stay Vicious" was a statement song in , revealing immediately to listeners that Get Hurt would be as far removed from the patented "Gaslight sound" as the band had attempted. But it's not all crunching riffs; the tune dynamically allows a soft "sha la la" chorus and reminds of a track Brand New or Manchester Orchestra might conjure. The track is a vibrant, in-the-pocket jam for the guys. What a hot and sultry summer …. Lyrically the track is a little clunky, but that riff is worth a blown speaker.
This is classic Gaslight; a pumping rock chorus and Fallon singing about a girl named Maria and his yearning to look like Elvis. Not the best, or most thoughtful track on '59 Sound, but still a powerful thumper wedged between many other great tunes. Easily the best tambourine work on any Gaslight song, and melodically there feels to be a ton of Springsteen here, particularly in the four-on-the-floor drum pattern that might as well have Max Weinberg playing.
But it works, particularly in the second half where the melody is polished and pleading through another lovesick tune. It's too on the nose, but otherwise a Gaslight classic of sorts. For me, "1, Years," is and will remain the enduring singalong off Get Hurt. That "hey-ay-ay! Just writing this makes me want to go listen again, for the 1,th time. For those who never put it all together I didn't for years "Wooderson" is named for Matthew McConaughey's smooth-talkin' "Dazed and Confused" character, hence the song's "alright, alright" line threaded throughout.
The tune's big, bold melody feels like a blueprint for the '59 Sound hits that would follow and Monmouth County folks always shout the "I fell in love with the Shrewsbury stars" line a little louder than the rest. Another pumping early thrasher from the Jersey guys — a tribute to The Clash's Joe Strummer — with a fun music video filmed on the Asbury Park boardwalk.
The thick, gritty chorus feels designed for a Central Jersey basement show — no complaints here. The gritty southern-rock verses are appreciated here, with Fallon using every bit of his gravel. Good stuff. One of the band's simplest, folksiest tunes, with little more than Fallon's acoustic guitar and a few deep harmonica pulls. While some moments on Sink or Swim can feel a little forced or strained, this easy ballad roams effortlessly.
Check out the video here, of the tune mixed with Springsteen's "I'm on Fire. When anyone talks about the expansion of Gaslight's sound from their beloved '59 Sound to the anticipated follow-up American Slang, "The Queen" is the surest example. The song is sonically defined by its needling, western riff and Fallon does great work as storyteller here, deftly prodding all those "uptight, rowdy girls of Lower Chelsea.
This is a well-formed fan favorite. In most cases, the more space the band allots for Fallon to stretch his lyrical legs in a song, the better.
An honest, wrenching folk ballad — the kind of song you can't hear all the time, for sake of it ruining your afternoon. Fallon's own chapter of "nobody knows the trouble I've seen" is very strong and affecting, and one could argue "Break Your Heart" is the deftest piece of songwriting on Get Hurt overall.
The approach is unique on "Kid," the one true ballad off '59 Sound , where Fallon instructs on what to say to his past lovers and never-weres — the Gayles and Janies of the singer's retro-infatuated imagination — and to tell the girl who shrugged him off that he's a rock star now, "even if that's a lie. Fallon dances around religion here, talking sins and youth near the Navesink River — the waterway that runs through his native Red Bank.
This is as polished, comfortable and in the pocket as Gaslight has ever sounded on record. If The '59 Sound showed the world "here's what we can do," then American Slang added "and this is where we're going. Years from now, "They told us fortunes in American slang" may go down as one of the songwriter's most iconic lines. If you take Spotify streaming totals as gospel, then the galloping Handwritten opener "45" stands as The Gaslight Anthem's most popular tune, with 12 million plays and counting.
This is scarily close to The '59 Sound. Opposite for me, this has no filler to me, whereas '59 does. This is just rockin. Agreed this does have some weak songs, but I enjoy the good ones on here more than the good ones on 59'. Album Rating: 5. The Gaslight Anthem Sink or Swim 4. They plug away for fifteen years or more trying to perfect their sound and then along come a young band who better you on their first effort.
With folk-punk troubadours Against Me! Big choruses and hooks can be found on several tracks on Sink or Swim that add to the replay factor of the album. Not only do they add to the catchiness of this particular song, but the transition that leads to such sections of the song keeps things interesting and adds something special to the song.
The album however, is not solely made up of up-tempo bluesy punk-rock. It works brilliantly and its quality is aided by the tasteful inclusion of harmonicas. Building from palm-muted guitars and almost-whispered vocals to another huge sounding, up-tempo chorus it is incredibly powerful and energetic, being driven forwards by a solid rhythm section. The Gaslight Anthem certainly have a lot going for them right now. The future is undoubtedly looking bright for The Gaslight Anthem and only time will tell if they can better their debut, and take it from me, it will take something very special to beat this.
Rank: 88 for MagmaWalrus 4. Tweet Recent reviews by this author. The Lawrence Arms Metropole. You Blew It! Hammock Oblivion Hymns. Warpaint The Fool. The Gaslight Anthem Handwritten. CoreySzn 4. Get Hurt. The B-Sides. Reinventing Axl Rose. On Music Lists.
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