American Slang

Progress of The Gaslight Anthem

Following the amazing The ’59 Sound, released only a year ago, many connect their greatest expectations and hopes with its makers, The Gaslight Anthem. The musicians of this ensemble figured that, no matter how good their last record was, they should not go on to copy it rigorously in the future. Indeed, the audience has had enough of The ’59 Sound, first having run the CD to the first scratches, and then having heard the same material at the gigs of The Gaslight Anthem. There is nothing to wonder about because this rock band has recently had only two official long players; and the compilation of the concert sets was based on the tracks of the later one, the record that first attached wide attention to the musicians. Three-minute compositions with the heart and soul of teenage rock, music that does not require instrumental genius of the musicians, nor grand thinking labor of the listeners, were nice, but… But The Gaslight Anthem are getting mature both biologically and professionally. There came a moment when they realized the necessity to move further wide and deep. That is why their new product, American Slang, is as attractive as its predecessor, yet way much more serious and considerate.

Domination of classic rock

Considering the fact that there were those who drew parallels between The Gaslight Anthem and the legendary Bruce Springsteen, you might be sure about the enforcement they are going to get after this year release. Before American Slang was issued, they mostly saw the common things in topics touched upon in the lyrics. Now, even the music has something in common, too. The young performers do not conceal their deep interest in classic rock. Carefree punk-rock guitar is being gradually pushed out by a more meticulous, intelligent play. In the beginning, they used to touch six strings to form noise background for the singing. On this album, guitar serves to highlight the vocal line, transmitting the mood that the singer puts in his vocals and words. Since we have mentioned the lyrics, they are presented here by the so called street or urban poems reaching their perfection in the title track as well as in Boxer, and Stay Lucky. In terms of instruments, the musicians decided to preserve the melodious approach they captured the hearts of the majority with on The ’59 Sound. These young men, apparently, have a great number of great ideas and a wide range of possibilities for their effective realization.

A fascinating tale of America

The main thing that makes this album different from what The Gaslight Anthem did before is the variety and intensity of emotions. This feature characterizes classic rock whose performers always tried to share their feelings and thoughts with the audience. Some songs (Diamond Street Church Choir with a slight soul touch and the retro-styled We Did It When We Were Young) emanate grief and hope altogether. Talented and standout performers know how to control the emotional state of their listeners. Well-crafted lyrics and elaborated music are the perfect tools that convey the mood that the musicians wanted to place into their songs. On the release of The ’59 Sound, many tended to thing that the best the band would do is remaking their own songs, that the peak of their art had already been conquered. Nevertheless, American Slang is in many parts better that its celebrated predecessor. It does not stun with many song-writing sensations and lacks apparent hits, probably. Yet the material of the entire record sounds very professional, smart and cohesive. American Slang is a genuine story of Америке, told with purely American musical accent.