The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten Review

Great American rock and roll bands are few and far between in 2012, but New Jersey's The Gaslight Anthem is one of them. And guess what? They just put out a new album.

Called Handwritten, it's a set of authentic and straight ahead rock and ballads that delve into two clear themes, at least to me: 1) celebrating rebellion and the freedom it can bring and 2) a heavy dose of love lost...or love desired, in jeopardy or bordering on impossible to have.

In this day and age of pre-produced boy bands, hip-hop gangsters, techno sample driven dance and sugary sweet country, The Gaslight deliver a much needed dose of real, believable, moving rock and roll from the USA.

You can see a few pictures I took of The Gaslight Anthem HERE. They are at the end of a set of rock concert photos I took at gigs.

Meanwhile, here's my review of the songs...

45. "I can't move on and I can't stay the same." A rocking kick off to the album and the band's first single off this record. Essentially, this is a celebration of rock music and the exhilaration of that first powerful jolt you get when dropping the needle down on a rockin' 45. Mixed into this is also some reference to how one needs to make change...equating that with "seeing you on the flipside" of a record.

Handwritten. "There's nothing like another soul that's been cut up the same." Musically bearing some resemblance to the band's big hit "The '59 Sound," this song is a meditation on nostalgia and the desperate attempts to mend or endure a damaged but still firing love. The "handwritten" reference to me signifies that the relationship being sung about was forged in the most authentic and meaningful way and could still be - if both parties want it.  Classic Gaslight Anthem that will have you singing along and reminiscing and relating to the heartfelt theme.

Here Comes My Man. "Maybe your pride will be your companion." A song about a guy jilted by his girl. Has she left him for another guy? A job? To find herself? Well, it's not clear. Could be one of these things, some or all...but the point is made. Anyway you slice it, this person is in pain and desperately wants what could have been.

Mulholland Drive. "Oh and I would just die if you took your love away." Featuring a choppier delivery and a guitar solo in the middle, this one is a about what the singer would feel if his love went away. This is now the third song in a row on this album about the loss of love - or the fear of it. And by the end you realize that both parties in the relationship are saying the same thing...so not all is lost.

Keepsake. "I just want to love someone who has the same blood."OK, here things slow down with a chugger of a tune with a wailing guitar overlay and lyrics about a person seeking out family...his own blood...something that apparently has been lacking in his life.

Too Much Blood. "Now I'm no devil, but I've got things on my mind." The slower pace continues here with a charged, but paced tune about possibly saying too much...by putting "too much blood" on the page - in other words, going too far and it's consequences.

Howl. "Does anything still move you since you're educated now?" Boom. A rocker following a few slowdown tunes. This song revs up and challenges the contented listener if she still has the rebellious spirit of younger days - the desire to escape, the drive to move, to embrace the wild side of life for all the freedom it did - and could still - deliver.

Biloxi Parish. "I've found that nothing truly matters that you cannot find for free." Throttling back again, this is a mid-paced song that - best I can tell - centers on the singers desire to be with a difficult girl...one who he recognizes is not good for him, but that he loves none less. He's willing to suffer and he's willing to put up with the "blood and curses" the girl can, and no doubt will, dole out. The music on this one is pretty good with great guitar work crescendoing with a solo breaking out of the rhythm, falling away and building back up.

Desire. "What makes a man do the things that a man does." Pace picking up here - "ohh-whooo-ah-ooooh" kicking things off. This song title actually encapsulates many of the love songs on Handwritten as it talks about the desire - from afar, against wisdom, in light of difficult circumstances - the desire for love and what might be...but is so God damn difficult to attain.

Mae. "With your Bette Davis eyes and your mama's party dress."A call for a lifelong partner...is it someone real (Mae?) or is it an idealized and desired lover? Not sure. The singer goes into what he'd like to do, he is (and was) and how he'd like to have this girl along for a ride that could last.

National Anthem. "Take it easy baby, it ain't over yet."An acoustic closer to the album laments what was - both in American society and in the singer's relationship. Both his "American love."

________________________________

What to get
45, Handwritten, Howl, Here Comes My Man, National Anthem, Mae

What to skip
Too Much Blood - OK idea for a song, but just not that compelling
Biloxi Parish - same comment

Best song
This is a close call to me between National Anthem and Howl - tie breaker goes to Howl, 'cause it's more upbeat and rockin'

Five Albums You Should Get

OK, so there aren't "albums" anymore, but that's what we called them back in the day. When cassette tapes came on the scene, we still called them albums. Same with CDs and now full sets of MP3 files from - among other places - iTunes.

Anyway, there's something about a complete set of music vs. individual songs on a playlist. Much more enjoyable and you get a full expression of ideas...something to think about.

With that in mind, here are five "albums" you may not have heard of, but deliver great rock and roll and hang together as a full set of music. All but the second one are available on U.S. iTunes. (All artwork is by the artists, not me.)

Howl by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

San Francisco band BRMC started their career with a sound that's a cross between My Bloody Valentine, PiL and The Jesus & Mary Chain. And that was pretty dang good. Howl, however, is nothing like that. Rather, it's a big change up for the group that produced in my opinion their best work to date. Consisting of 15 tracks of mostly acoustic music that evoke Bob Dylan more than anything else, the still dark tunes deliver a major dose of soul, intelligent lyrics and musical talent on display. Every song is a winner, but standouts include the pumping Ain't No Easy Way, the drawing and haunting Howl, harmonica driven anti-war song Complicated Situation and the moving Sympathetic Noose. If you like what you hear on Howl, get Howl Sessions for some great songs that did not make the main album - in particular Mercy.

Neurotic Outsiders by Neurotic Outsiders

Remember the Sex Pistols? Guns 'n Roses? How about Duran Duran? What if some guys from those bands got together in a new band in the mid 1990s and put out a kick ass rock album? Would that be of interest? Well, that did happen. Comprised of Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) on guitar and vocal, Duff McKagan (GnR) on guitar and vocals, Matt Sorum (GnR) on drums and John Taylor (Duran Duran) on bass, the band was called Neurotic Outsiders. And their one self-titled album rocks. The main thing here is the music... slashing guitar from Jones, bombastic drumming and clever tunes that really move as they shift and propels to the next set of adrenaline inducing lick. Things only slow down for the self-contemplative Better Way, Union and Story of My Life.

Tackling weighty topics such as how much of a "'ho" one of the guys girlfriends is, the heavy weight of having been a Sex Pistol, the negative opinions of the band on too much plastic surgery on women, and other similar topics, the lyrics take a back seat. But they are at least delivered well. Standout tracks include Angelina, Revolution, Better Way and a wicked cover of Janie Jones by The Clash. I recommend this one for anyone for that perfect accompaniment to an aggressive workout at the gym or a hard run. But if you just want to rock out, it's pretty good for that too.

The Good, the Bad & the Queen by The Good, the Bad & the Queen

OK, so I'm not a big fan of "supergroups," but having said that...here's the second one I'm going to recommend in this group of five complete albums you should have. Comprised of Damon Albarn (Blur) on vocals, Paul Simonon (The Clash) on bass, Simon Tong (The Verve) on guitar and afro-beat legend Tony Allen on drums, The Good, the Bad & the Queen is both the name of the band and the album. With this lineup, you'd think maybe you'd be in for gaggle of rocked up songs, but that's not the case. It's much more interesting than that. Rather, with this one you get a number of well crafted, clever and mid-paced to slow atmospheric songs that address a wide range of subjects. The songs also act as a mixing pot of the talents of the members - dub bass and on-the-money backing vocals from Simonon, subtle guitar from Tong, soulful drumming from Allen and piano and lyrical sill from Albarn. Again, a set you can listen to from begininng to end. To me, the standout tracks are History Song, Kingdom of Doom, 80s Life, and A Soldier's Tale. Give this one a try.

The La's by The La's

Ah, The La's. One famous quote from Noel Gallagher of Oasis was that all his band was doing was continuing on what The La's started. Well, The La's only ever put out one album, their self titled debut in the late 1980s. The record is chock full of infectious songs, great melodies and the unique timbre of lead singer Lee Mavers...who, as the story goes, delayed the release through obsessive compulsive editing and tinkering. This worked out great for the eventual album, but the group broke up. You may have heard one song from this called There She Goes. But, the goodness goes far beyond that on this one. Strumming acoustic guitars (sometimes electric), perfectly phrased and timed verses about personal feelings and love, along with a subtle drum and bass deliver sing-along tunes that you'll be listening to over and over.

Standout tracks include: Son of a Gun, Way Out, There She Goes, Liberty Ship and Feelin'. Recently, this record has been re-issued, so you should be able to find it...and you should.

Narcissus Road by The Hours

Lastly but not least, Narcissus Road by The Hours. This is a band formed by a couple guys who used to play with Joe Strummer in Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros before Joe tragically died at age 50 of an undiagnosed heart malady. However, while this album does have hints of "how Joe would have done it," the sound is really not like what he produced. 

The 11 song album is comprised of a mix of upbeat mid-tempo rock tunes, several slow contemplative numbers and a couple sweeping epic songs that pull at the heartstrings, the album delivers on all fronts. Lyrically, the band take on on themes of redemption, getting off the mat when you've been been knocked down, love lost, dark motivations and living life for now. Perhaps the most unique song is Love You More in which the singer calls out all the things that he loves his signifiant other more than..proclaiming to love her more than his hooded sweatshirt, more than Tony Soprano, more than his football team, more than his Adidas shoes, more than The Clash and more.

Standout tracks are Ali in the Jungle, Back When You Were Good, Narcissus Road, Icarus and Love You More.

So, there you have it. Five albums that are listenable from beginning to end, and that you may not have ever heard of. Good luck. Let me know what you think.

And, as a bonus sixth to this list, see my review of Glasvegas by Glasvegas here.