Handwritten

A classic punk-formation The Gaslight Anthem

The story of that amazing band from New Brunswick began comparatively recently, in the year 2006. It must be mentioned that the quartet’s line-up has not been changed since that time, which is no doubt a great thing, as soon as it means that the musicians understand each other perfectly and they are satisfied with the group’s movement and development. What is going to happen if the total mutual understanding, talent and united ideas and dreams are being combined altogether? Right, you get something incredibly interesting, and from the musical point of view, something remarkably tasty. The rockers’ debut long play called Sink Or Swim saw the light in 2007 and it was received really well. Highly melodiousness and dynamic songs of The Gaslight Anthem found their listeners in no time, which is not a big surprise, after all. Only a year later the band pleased the fans with another studio attempt - The ’59 Sound. This creation was certified Silver in the United Kingdom. This is a good result indeed, especially if we consider the fact that Great Britain has never experienced a lack of excellent rock-music and the audience there is rather picky and even pampered. American Slang, the album of 2010, managed to repeat the success of its predecessor, and this is a good sign. The Gaslight Anthem keep up their great work and expand the fan-base year after year. Handwritten just has to bring us some hot summer hits!

Handwritten: a calligraphy that is easy to recognize

American punk-rock, and especially pop-punk, is very well known for its incredible energy and drive. And there is no doubt that it is impossible to cavil at The Gaslight Anthem in this aspect. These musicians hardly discovered or invented a totally new genre, but they are definitely mastering the already existing one. They do it with a huge amount of inventiveness. Thus, the rockers’ new long play is opened by a melodiousness and prompt composition called "45". It does two things simultaneously: it creates a good mood for the entire album and it represents the model sound, which is so much striven by The Gaslight Anthem. That high-class mix of tunefulness and forcefulness has become one of the best recognizable features of the band. Then goes the title song Handwritten that is to become an amazing concert blockbuster – all the audience will sing along, there is no doubt about it. Track Here Comes My Man, which is rather distant from a traditional pop-punk, will let have a short respite. Mulholland Drive, by the way, will also become a surprise for many listeners; however this unexpected sound and mood are going to be a purely pleasant surprise. Juicy bass, lots of space for the vocals and great solo to remember – these unsophisticated ingredients make this song so distinctive. All lovers of beautiful guitar solos should make sure to pay attention to the song Keepsake, where the leading guitar is presented in its best way. A short two-minutes action track Howl will make listeners tap the beat and it will remind that classical methods are called classical because they work: the drum part is not complicated, but it certainly attracts attention as good as the guitar riffs and melodies do.

New album, new impressions

If a band does not have its unique style, it will not be able to reach the success. The fourth studio attempt of the rockers The Gaslight Anthem proves to all fans of punk-rock that the musicians from New Brunswick know perfectly, what their creativity should be like. Quite fast and dynamic tracks include aggressiveness and melodiousness – that contrast is no doubt an advantageous one. Handwritten has become a worthy addition to The Gaslight Anthem’s discography and it traditionally presented a good number of hits to listeners. Performers prepared a special surprise to those lucky ones, who managed to get a Deluxe version of Handwritten: three great bonus tracks, including cover versions of Nirvana and Tom Petty songs. All in all, there was no place for boredom left. Eleven excellent songs from The Gaslight Anthem are just what you need if you want to cheer up. If you plan some activities outside, take a long play Handwritten with you. Probably it is one of the best variants to create an ideal vivacious summer soundtrack.