Review: The Gaslight Anthem - "The '59 Sound"

By: David Edscorn

I’ve always been a fan of classic rock and oldies, but generally find myself proceeding with caution when I find out that a modern band roots its sound in those genres. The result sometimes turns out to work perfectly and make me fall in love with it, but just as frequently crashes and burns in a conflagration of tired AC/DC or Righteous Brothers stereotypes. Fortunately, The Gaslight Anthem’s newest album, The ’59 Sound, falls firmly in the first category. The New Jersey band manages to perfectly toe the line between modern punk and old time rock and roll without sounding clichéd or boring.

The album begins with “Great Expectations,” a hard hitting track that starts with a needle dropping onto a record before kicking into powerful drumming from Benny Horowitz and just as powerful vocals from Brian Fallon. A chorus with just the right amount of catchiness and guitars that would fit in fine on London Calling round out the solid opener. 

The title track is an infectious nostalgia-filled first single about death and what comes after. Bleak as that may sound, the band manages to carry it out in an upbeat and hopeful manner. Nostalgia is a common theme on the album, even though the young men in Gaslight and their target audience aren’t old enough to remember much of what they sing about. Nonetheless, the tracks manage to create time long gone in such a way that you feel like you know exactly what they’re singing about. Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are obvious influences (Petty’s name and one of his songs get dropped on several songs), as well as fellow Jersey act The Bouncing Souls and punk band Against Me!

The album is crammed full of good tracks, but standouts include the gritty “Film Noir,” rockabilly-infused “Casanova, Baby” and the anthematic closer “The Backseat.” At first listen the album seems rather repetitive, but repeated play shows that this is not the case. Each track has its own sound and its own story. Although The Gaslight Anthem have only been around for a couple of years, they have managed to produce an outstanding album. 8.5 out of 10

Download: “The ’59 Sound,” “Film Noir,” “The Backseat”