Album Review

The Gaslight Anthem – 45

• 2nd May 2012

New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem are back, and sounding as good as ever.

45 is the lead single from the forthcoming album Handwritten, to be released in July on Mercury Records. Coming almost two years after American Slang, it has been a long wait for new music from the Gaslights. But if this single is in any way typical of their recent Nashville recording sessions then fans will not be disappointed.

I always thought American Slang felt and sounded more like a New York album than a New Jersey one, with a slightly slower pace and lower intensity than their earlier recordings.

45 however sounds much more like the Jersey Shore meets punk, high tempo rock of 2008’s The ’59 Sound. The guitars riffs drive the record forward, the solos wail, the drums pound and Brian Fallon’s edgy vocals cut powerfully through the big sound.

The song is about moving forward from the end of a relationship. It uses the metaphor of a record, the repeated call of “Turn the record over” representing a new start, and then “I’ll see you on the flip side” reinforcing the message.

The Gaslight Anthem have carved out a nice little niche for themselves as a hardworking band with a rock sound that has punk roots but a fresh and modern sheen. On the basis of the sound of this single the upcoming album will be one to watch out for.