Record Review
October 22, 2008
The ‘59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem
Completely new and at the same time very familiar, like a favorite pair of jeans, The ‘59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem is a perfect example of what true American rock should be.
The Gaslight Anthem has clearly taken quite a bit of inspiration from Springsteen, and maybe a bit from working-class punk stalwarts like The Dropkick Murphys and Social Distortion, and have turned that inspiration into a nice, clean and very compelling american rock sound that fits right along bands like The Hold Steady and The Foo Fighters.
True to their name, nearly very song is anthemic. Great lyrics, lots of places where you can sing along and music that moves through you and, in my case, evokes images from throughout my life. I can’t explain exactly what it is, but there is something really great here. At first hearing the sound might seem fairly straight-forward and even a touch ordinary, but there is something really special lying just underneath. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
The Bottom Line
The ’59 Sound is a great album. Period. One of this years best, in my opinion.
