Review: The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

Sergio reviews The Gaslight Anthem’s American Slang.

Artist Name: The Gaslight Anthem
Album Name: American Slang
Year: 2010
Genre: Folk Punk

American Slang has divided many fans. Revivalist junkies have criticised the lack of 50s sound, which they believe cemented The ’59 Sound as a top release of 2008. Others have said American Slang is an evolution and the most mature sounding record to date.

Personally, I like it. It’s still got the classic rock vibe – albeit with bigger choruses, stronger melodies, more personal lyrics and better structure than before, as is evident in the extremely emotive ‘Orphans’ and nostalgic ‘We Did It When We Were Young’ – but it’s also a full-fledged step forward.

Nine out of ten people will love The Gaslight Anthem immediately just because of their “older” sound, free from Auto-Tune and computerised distortion – the other person will hate them because of the constant reminder of Bruce Springsteen (but don’t forget, he’s a national institution to America as The Hoff is to Germany!). To the haters of TGA, four simple words: ‘The Spirit of Jazz’. It’s a powerful reminder of how the combination of simplicity with carefully thought out melodies and lyrics can still create a phenomenal song – plus it’s got a discreet Tiger Army vibe, which instantly made me a fan. If you picked up the subtle psychobilly influences on this record, you’re a champ!

I don’t know about you, but I’m growing increasingly bored of the punk scene at the moment – it seems like everyone who has a Mohawk, hates the government, can play power chords, and wears a Ramones shirt is becoming a “punk”. Basically, it lacks balls or diversity, which initially set it apart – and it’s also just becoming a sub-division of fashioncore. Essentially, punk isn’t about playing at 200mph, spitting on your peers or lyrics about burning down the White House; it’s about doing things your own way, ignoring the conformist values and, most importantly, playing what you want to play. It’s in this way that The Gaslight Anthem are the quintessential punk band – they tip their hats to their Jersey Shore influence (not those douchebags on the reality TV show), play an unexpected brand of music in a unsympathetic era and deliver a product that many listeners can identify with. American Slang is a superb release.

Best Tracks: ‘Bring It On’, ‘Old Haunts’, ‘The Spirit of Jazz’ and ‘We Did It When We Were Young’

92/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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