Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt

It was kind of The Gaslight Anthem to give listeners a visual warning on the cover of their latest release. Not only is this being promoted as Brian Fallon’s divorce record, but the unbearably mediocre cover art mirrors the music contained within. The lead up to this release had Fallon denouncing Springsteen comparisons as fervently as he once made them (yes, it was Fallon himself who went relentlessly on about being the second coming of the Boss… the media just eventually fell in line with his offensive posturing). Back in 2008, the band burst onto the scene (for those who had yet to discover their wonderful debut and great EP) with their blend of heartland rock, punk rock attitude and soulful vocals. Their career took off with a flash, gaining tons of mainstream fans and alienating fans of their earliest releases, which they themselves dismissed (see Taking Back Sunday, Weezer, et al.). Fallon went on to release a fabulous record as The Horrible Crowes, while courting the charts with his full time band. While his distinctive voice lends a semblance of continuity to their career, a new Gaslight Anthem release is always a surprise for listeners. The press push leading up to the release had Fallon (is he the only member of this band?) boldly stating that the band had completely reinvented themselves. If recording an album full of overproduced pop rock and throwback alternative is a reinvention, then the band have at least attempted to live up to his claims.  

This album is a test of patience. Not only is it not a dramatic reinvention, it is simply not a good album. It is frustrating to wonder how a band can fall so far. They experiment with grunge on Stay Vicious, with disastrous results. Even Nickelback would have enough self awareness to not release that mess. The sixteen tracks drag on, flirting with outdated mediocre alternative rock on 1000 Years (is this a lost Fuel track?) and Helter Skeleton. By now, lyrical cliches are synonymous with the band. There are few exceptions to be found here. If you’re familiar with the band, you know whether that will be an issue or not. They are more Bon Jovi than Bob Dylan and they appear to be content with that. The guy who once claimed to get inspiration from the likes of musical geniuses like Miles Davis sure has gotten lost. Maybe it’s the influence of a major label attempting to reduce a band to their most mediocre, so that they can play over the speakers at grocery stores. Maybe Fallon’s broken heart stole all musical inspiration (inexplicably unlike 99% of the greatest music ever written). There is a noticeable lack of emotional connection to the lyrical content here. For a man who has such a soulful voice and a recent heartbreak to draw from, Fallon falls flat drawing empathy from his listeners. 

To be fair, there are bright moments hidden within. Underneath the Ground is an interesting exploration of modern radio rock, with indie undertones. Halloween is reminiscent of Horrible Crowes, a wonderfully moody track. They’ve always excelled at ballads and Break Your Heart is no exception, clearly standing out as the album’s strongest track (similar to American Slang’s She Loves You). Sweet Morphine strives for the same reach, but falls flat with it’s boring bar band music. Mama’s Boys has a fun roots rock swagger. It is strange that the majority of the best tracks are only available on the deluxe edition. 

After all of these years of comparing himself to Springsteen, Fallon has finally managed to come close to recording an album worthy of his idol. Even Springsteen, one of the greatest songwriters of all time occasionally released shitty music. Get Hurt is The Gaslight Anthem’s Human Touch, an embarrassment to the legacy of a once great band. To be fair, Tom Petty recently received his first #1 album in his long and celebrated career, so maybe the world actually wants another boring pop rock album (although Petty’s release is significantly better quality than this). As for the supposed break up album… maybe Fallon’s wife left him because he played demos of these songs for her?