As most people reading this will know, The Gaslight Anthem are one of those bands.
Swiftly idolised in the punk scene for their XOXO Records debut ‘Sink Or Swim’, Fallon and co. then learned to live with the constant (and sometimes fair) comparisons to a certain famous American rock star and carried on to wider acclaim with follow up ‘The ’59 Sound’. Following a fine mainstream reception to third album ‘American Slang’, the band now find themselves looking for way to cement one of the biggest success stories to emerge from the punk scene in the past five or so years.
In terms of style, ‘Handwritten’ isn’t leaps and bounds for the band. It’s The Gaslight Anthem being the The Gaslight Anthem. People with no interest in the band’s last album will not re-find their feet here – the Americana is strong (‘Too Much Blood’ and ‘Keepsake’) and the band certainly have the big stages in mind – but the key is whether the song have the quality to compare to the bands they find themselves sharing bills with these days.
In some cases, this is absolutely true (‘Mulholland Drive’ and opener ’45’ in particular shine through) and others not so much (‘Here Comes My Man’ and ‘Howl’), but all things considered, ‘Handwritten’ is a towering rock record that has the right producer doing the right thing with the band.
Each song stomps its feet and demands that you understand both where the band come from, but also that they want to be up there with the true giants of rock. It’s entirely possible that The Gaslight Anthem could go on to be just that with a few more consistent albums, and there’s certainly enough biting riffs and big choruses here to keep them heading on that path. Fallon’s vocals are refined and impressive, and you have confidence that every part of the band’s sound could be played live as they’ve imagined the performance part of their music here.
Make no mistake, this is a “go big or go home” record from The Gaslight Anthem, and though you know what you’re getting from the themes and song structures throughout, the songwriting does have something special about it. It takes one listen to grab you where ‘American Slang’ took two or three, and ‘National Anthem’ delivers a delicate closer to an accomplished and confident record.
Whether ‘Handwritten’ sinks its hooks in deeper and deeper or falls back to an occasional listen will depend on personal taste, but if you’ve got the time for a balls out rock record from a band that has found a sound they love and run with it – look no further.
TOM AYLOTT