The Gaslight Anthem - 'Autumn'
The Gaslight Anthem are back, ready to hold our hand as we bid a fond farewell to summer, with their new single 'Autumn'.
Successful artists/bands are praised for many attributes, namely originality; quality of writing; instrumental prowess... The list goes on. We often fail to mention consistency. Consistency is the reason (and I may receive hate mail for this) I put 'Revolver' above 'Abbey Road'. It's the reason we British folk opt for a roast dinner on family holidays: we know what we're going to get and we know it's going to be warm, satisfying and good for the soul. Allow me then (in this twisting, turning and half-baked analogy) to compare The Gaslight Anthem to the humble roast dinner.
The band formed in New Jersey in 2006 and has since released 5 studio albums. Throughout their 17-year stint, they have remained relevant without sacrificing their sound. There is a rawness sewn through their work that is rarely overpowered by the catchy hooks and (I promise I'll only use this word once) anthemic choruses. The lyrical nous of Brian Fallon, plus a boatload of ballsy guitar tones is responsible for much of the aforementioned rawness heard in 'Autumn', their latest release.
''There's too much traffic in my head babe / I wish that I was on a freeway, just flying along'' is Fallon's opening line. It's a sweet, ruminating little metaphor and sets the tone from the outset. The song was written, according to the man himself ''on a really beautiful fall day, looking out the window and thinking, how many days like this do we get to see?'' This pensive yet optimistic tone pervades the whole track.
Into the first chorus we go, as gruff vocals sit on a wall of layered guitars. These guitars take over in fuzzy doubled octaves before Fallon sings ''And I know someday you're gonna make me lonely / And maybe someday I'm gonna make you cry''. There's a stoic quality here - a reflection on the beauty of sharing yourself with a partner, despite the vulnerability and potential hardships. After the second chorus, guitars drenched in effects erupt into a fuzzed-out frenzy whilst the drums build and build to a powerful final chorus.
The Gaslight Anthem aren't reinventing the wheel here. They're simply (if you'll allow me one more culinary metaphor) dishing out more well-crafted and thought-provoking music, music that is world-hardened but not world-weary. Their new album 'History Books' is out on October 27th, 9 years since their last record. It sure is good to have them back.
Words by Joe Boon
