Sam Alone & The Grave Diggers – Tougher Than Leather

It’s no secret that Get Hurt polarized fans of The Gaslight Anthem, and that such mixed reviews subsequently lead to some sort of identity crisis that more than likely fueled their current hiatus.  Some fans might even feel cheated that they never had a true final dose of the now classic Springsteen-inspired sound that put The Gaslight Anthem on the map.  If you fall in with that crowd, perhaps you’re holding out for Brian Fallon’s solo work or side projects to fill the void.  Based on the output from The Black Crowes and Molly And The Zombies, you might be waiting for a while.

But there is another way, and believe it or not, it doesn’t have any relation to Fallon or any of his monikers.  In fact, you’ll have to leave the continent for this fix and head across the Atlantic to… Portugal?  That’s right, the search for a new Gaslight Anthem album is over and it was made by none other than Quarteira’s Sam Alone & The Gravediggers.  Now, there have been plenty of Gaslight Anthem wannabes in the past (AM Taxi and Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social come to mind), but they tend to land in the realm of imitation over content creation.  That’s where Sam Alone & The Grave Diggers differ.  Rather than writing music that sounds like The 59 Sound, Sam Alone & The Grave Diggers write what could very well branded as the best record and musical progression from Gaslight Anthem since that seminal hallmark first hit.  

Sam Alone & The Grave Diggers’ sophomore full length, Tougher Than Leather, stands tall as the follow-up to The Gaslight Anthem’s Handwritten that fans had been hoping for.  Right from the opening moments, “Believers & Renegades” hits the nail squarely on the head.  Bells chime lucidly as lead vocalist Sam Alone’s classic, Springsteen-esque personae emerges from an amalgamation of guitar and handclaps.  Sincere and genuine immediately come to mind as synonyms for Alone’s vocal talents – chills resonating down your spine not unlike the first time you heard Fallon’s unmistakable howl.  “Brothers and sisters, lovers and believers, dreamers and renegades, those are my heroes,” identifies Alone at the onset, rallying listeners around working class values before charging headlong into a chorus that trumpets individuality and freedom.  “Don’t you ever mistake our silence for ignorance, you can choose our song, but you can’t force us to dance,” erupts Alone into a beautifully woven chorus of melody and purpose.  

Tougher Than Leather features song after song of the type of authenticity that only a marriage of passion and experience could birth.  Under a base of classic-rock leaning guitar, songs like “Gardens Of Death,” Shadow Of The Hero,” and “Shine” incite choruses of sing-along, woah-oah type anthems sure to incite listeners belting out along passionately to the fist pumping, defiant stand in the line, “souls like ours are meant to shine.”  Sam Alone & The Grave Diggers depict a desperate world in which self-determination rests solely on the shoulders of the individual.  In the aptly titled “God’s Not Around,” Alone highlights the reality of an absent father, accusing God of indifference in the choral loop, “‘cause God doesn’t care,” rather than challenging His existence like others.  The theme transfers well into the anti-war sentiment of “Coffins and Dog Tags.”  Embedded with emotive piano keys, songs like “Gifted” and “Another Mile” draw upon the nostalgic, situational storytelling draw typical of Brian Fallon’s multitude of work.  And let’s not forget the title track, a wholly unique offering serving as an undeniable highlight, bathing handclaps in an essence that brilliantly rides on the shoulders of Billy Bragg’s folky aura.

Sam Alone & the Grave Diggers deserve every word of glowing praise they’ll receive for Tougher Than Leather.  Hands down, the Portugal powerhouse has written one of the best Gaslight Anthem albums around, capturing the rock n’ roll essence of The Boss with an authentic and genuine attitude.  Don’t let their geographic location fool you, these boys are the real deal.