Review → The Gaslight Anthem – Sink or Swim (2007)
The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
The Gaslight Anthem released one of 2008′s best albums, The ’59 Sound. That was their sophomore effort, and is one three releases of new material they’ve put out in their short time together (the others being this, Sink or Swim, and the Señor & the Queen EP). So let’s take a trip in the Wayback Machine to the long-forgotten year of twenty-ought-seven, when a young quartet of New Jersey punks released their debut LP.
Coming out of the Jersey punk scene, these guys have a sound that’s reminiscent of bands like the Bouncing Souls; muscular guitar work, somewhat gruff vocals, and a heavy sense of melody. The Souls are a clear influence on the band, but so are more diverse artists. Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey’s favorite son, stands out most. The Clash are also revered by these guys; the song “Ida Called You Woody, Joe” is a tribute to the late, great Joe Strummer.
The music on this album is primarily fast-paced punk rock. It’s not hardcore, and it’s not quite traditional pop-punk, though it certainly owes a certain debt to the latter camp. The guitar work by lead guitarist Alex Rosamilia is fantastic, especially on songs like opener “Boomboxes & Dictionaries,” “I Coul’da Been a Contender,” and “We’re Getting a Divorce, You Keep the Diner.” The band only slows it down twice; on the quick, but very enjoyable “The Navesink Banks” about halfway through the album, and for the closer “Red At Night.”
Most of the songs seem inspired to set kids into a frenzy of fist-pumping and finger-pointing sing-a-longs in sweaty basement shows across the country, or at least across New Brunswick. And without exception, the songs succeed. In particular, I would call out “Angry Johnny and the Radio” for this; the song starts kind of slow, then about a third of the way through, after a short break, builds into a soulful shout-along anthem. Having seen this song performed live a couple of times, I’d say it is incredibly effective.
Singer/guitarist Brian Fallon’s lyrics mostly have to do with girls names “Maria.” (later, on the aforementioned EP, he would sing “We call every girl we ever met Maria”) There’s a lot of heartbreak, perhaps because, as he sings on “Angry Johnny:” “We always love the sad, sad songs.” The songs essentially paint a portrait of a Jersey scene that tends to evoke visions of the ’50s. The themes are simple, but effective; filled with memorable hooks and lines that you’ll find yourself singing to yourself for days after.
All in all, it’s an incredibly impressive debut, and definitely suggests the band will only get better from here on out.
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