Staff Reviews

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

Review by Robert Leedham

With four albums in the can, The Gaslight Anthem hardly seem the types to change their tune. Rousing themselves to rock’s high table requires breaking the mould they so desperately seek to emulate and what’s the point in that when you’re content to wash the feet of your heroes?»

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limited vinyl. 'handwritten' is the most committed, affecting and compelling album of the gaslight anthem's career to date. introduced by muscular lead-off single 45, which received its world premiere on bbc radio 1 as zane lowe's hottest record in the world on april 30, it finds the jersey boys in inspired form, decanting '60's soul, '70's stadium rock, '80s hardcore and '90's grunge into eleven white-knuckle, blue-collar everyman anthems. brian fallon likens its incandescent electrical storms to 'tom petty songs [being] played by pearl jam'. put more simply, it's a supercharged american rock 'n' roll classic. the electricity in the recordings is tangible and after years paying their dues in the punk rock underground, their major label debut is assuredly the work of a young band who know their time is now.
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