Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

This is one of my most anticipated albums of the year, only because I thought '59 Sound was brilliant, and my favorite album of last year. Brian Fallon's voice is remarkable, and with time, I believe could be influential in the genre. The band's unique blend of blues and country creates a brand of rock 'n' roll that hasn't been heard in quite some time. Luckily, Fallon merely improved on what worked from their last album, and fine-tuned some of the production. The guitars are still set for the '50s growl, with the rest of the band following suit. The Americana feel of the album resonates through the lyrics as well; hell the title track is a saturated home-spun American rock story, with a unique punk edge a la a "less-edgy" Against Me!. Fallon uses an echo chorus backing many tracks, and it works to create a fuller sound that carries from track to track. The ONLY complaint is that the album ends way too quickly, as each track moves effortlessly into the next, and before you know it, DONE. My favorite tracks include the intro on "The Diamond Church Street Choir," which really shows the rhythm/blues ability of the band; plus the guitar riffs are straight addicting, and only reinforces Fallon's story. It's a great album, and definitely one of my favorites of the year, so far. Let's see how long the link lasts...

1. American Slang
2. Stay Lucky
3. Bring it On
4. The Diamond Church Street Choir
5. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
6. Orphans
7. Boxer
8. Old Haunts
9. The Spirit of Jazz
10. We Did it When We Were Young

Link:
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