The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound

The Gaslight Anthem
The '59 Sound
SideOneDummy Records [2008]









Fire Note Says: Get ready because this one is good!

Album Review:
The ’59 Sound from The Gaslight Anthem is the type of album you wait for all year long. The New Jersey bands sophomore outing is full of Springsteen meets the Replacements tracks that all tell a story and hold nothing back. It is this raw bar band quality that makes The Gaslight Anthem so appealing and offers a style of punk rock that is completely infectious. It really does not matter if lead singer Brian Fallon is cranking up the volume on the title track or comes at you with their style of a ballad in “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues”; The ’59 Sound feels complete, heartfelt and contains 100% effort. For me, this is 42 minutes of rock bliss and even lead Mighty Mighty Bosstone Dicky Barrett gets into the action by making an appearance and ringing out the chorus on “The Patient Ferris Wheel”. Much like The Hold Steady’s 2006 highly acclaimed rocker Boys And Girls In America, The Gaslight Anthem have released an album to be remembered in 2008 with its awkward perfection and stick in your head qualities. This Jersey band should gain some much deserved upward momentum and notoriety after The ’59 Sound releases next week so this is your warning - time to get on board now!

Key Tracks: "Old White Lincoln", "Miles Davis & The Cool", "The '59 Sound"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The Hold Steady
Bruce Springsteen
The National

Official Gaslight Anthem Website
The Gaslight Anthem MySpace
The Gaslight Anthem Info [Allmusic]
SideOneDummy Records

-Reviewed by Aidan Rox