The Gaslight Anthem released their 4th studio album earlier this week. Only ten months after band members Brian Fallon and Ian Perkins released their solo album, (ELSIE, under the name The Horrible Crowes), featuring depth beyond Gaslight, this is the band’s first release on a major record label.
HANDWRITTEN is a daze of forgettable songs of engines, sirens, blood, hearts and every other worn-out Gaslight euphemism in the book. “Eventually I’ll haunt you or eventually you’ll be my queen,” sounds like a mocking regurgitation of songs like Queen of Lower Chelsea and Old Haunts on Biloxi Parish. Attempts at the hard edge mastered on The Horrible Crowes Mary Ann fall flat time and again on this 14-track deluxe edition of HANDWRITTEN.
Brian imitates Springsteen more than ever on this album, lacking his trademark story to tell. He’s our weathered Jersey pal who’s already told us that story. This voice is no longer a young man with an old soul, but an aged blue collar rockstar readying himself for the slew of county fair gigs headed his way. It’s pretty difficult to end your last record with a song about dying only to be reborn to mild fairview and acres.
I assume Mercury can claim more than the slightest of responsibility for this sloppy, rushed duplicate of past, passion-fueled work. A bland two-page introduction in the liner notes is the first sign that this will not be the same as the rest. True Gaslight fans needn’t be introduced to our band and newcomers should not stumble across HANDWRITTEN as an honest representation of the group. Some bands, for the sake of their art, should just stay indie.
The highlights of this album would be Mulholland Drive, Too Much Blood, and the cover of Tom Petty’s You Got Lucky. More than anything, the tracks on this album just make you miss the younger, bright-eyed version of these men. I would’ve killed for new songs like Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, Boxer, I Coul’da Been A Contender or vulnerable ballads like Red At Night or I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together.
Not to say Gaslight are sellouts, but maybe if their pockets weren’t so heavy they could’ve reconnected with those Lincoln engines and wounded hearts.
~Mimi
For more Gaslight Anthem reviews, follow these links:
https://southiejustinjustinsouth.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/im-famous-now-for-all-these-rocknroll-songs/ ~American Slang
https://southiejustinjustinsouth.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/brian-fallon-i-was-just-about-to-miss-you/ ~The Horrible Crowes
Mimi's blog 