The Gaslight Anthem-The '59 Sound
Side One Dummy
August 25, 2008

Like a lot of people, I had very high expectation for The Gaslight Anthem. They came out of nowhere to win the hearts of punks with their near perfect blend of Against Me! and Lucero with a Bruce Springsteen cheery. With a bigger label and a lot more people paying attention to them, The Gaslight Anthem stuck with the heartfelt and catchy songwriting that put them on the tips of everyone's tongues in the first place.

The main strength of The Gaslight Anthem is their ability to write memorable songs that can be enjoyed by all sorts of music fans. They don't write music that is geared to one specific type of genre, though it would all officially fall under rock and roll. There are some soulful moments, which I hear during their sadder moments ("Miles Davis & The Cool" is a prime example of this). Their music does have a bit of sadness throughout, but they are able to keep some of those moments upbeat, and the energy level is always up.

The first four songs get constantly play in my stereo, especially "High Lonesome" and the title track, but this album is solid from start to finish. The Gaslight Anthem are one of those bands that will get their due through talent and hard work. I strongly feel that, if they keep at this pace, The Gaslight Anthem is a band that will make the jump to larger audiences sooner rather than later.

Written by: RF
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