The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

If you have access to the internet, chances are you’ve heard of The Gaslight Anthem. After bursting onto the scene last year with Sink or Swim and a phenomenal EP that followed it released earlier this year, everyone has fallen in love with the New Jersey quartet and thus everyone was impatiently awaiting the release of The ’59 Sound. Everyone had expectations for it and when it leaked people didn’t know how to react. The songs were great, there was no doubt about it, but the sound wasn’t the same sound we had come to expect from the band as the production quality was vastly different than anything in the band’s prior repertoire.

For you see, The ’59 Sound doesn’t have the raw sensation of Sink or Swim nor the heavy beat of Senor and The Queen. Instead, The ’59 Sound sounds like an old fashioned record thanks to the echo effect that is featured on every single song on the record. Brian Fallon’s vocals aren’t nearly as rough as before and the entire record sounds like it was recorded way back in the day. Those who were previously unfamiliar with the band often asked “hey, is this the new Killers CD?” Yeah, a dreadful thought and one that doesn’t really strike the best impression. However, this echoey production style on The ’59 Soundsoon becomes comfortable in the listener’s ears and it becomes evident that the record could never sound any other way than it does.

Because unlike its predecessor’s, The ’59 Sound is a much more emotional album – which is saying something if you’ve ever heard White Jeans & Blue T-shirts or 1930 – but it is. The album is bathing in sincerity, emotion, honesty and passion. Each song packs a punch that takes you away from your current position as Fallon passionately weaves tales of disappointment, love, and adventures. The stories are laced with a sense of americana and simplicity but are in no way “simple” and the echoey production values help cement that emotional layer that would be vacant with the harder edge of Sink or Swim. It also enables them to add a few extra elements to the sound that almost go unnoticed but is just loud enough to stop you in your tracks. Be it the chains on the title track or the computerized vocals hidden in the background of Here’s Looking At You Kid, The 59 Sound is spotted with little added features that make it such a great record.

And it is a great record. There’s no way anyone can deny it or underplay that as the ’59 Sound will surely become a classic for this generation. I say that because I have never before seen a CD with such a massive appeal – everyone who has heard it has liked it. While it is a punk rock record infused with soul and blues elements, The Gaslight Anthem are not only for punk rock fans. There is something within the song writing that surpasses genre barriers and unites everyone together no matter their musical preferences. It does this by being playable in so many situations. It can be played in a sweaty, underground basement show or at a massive stadium. It can be played around a campfire, or during a road trip. It would fit inside the top 40 countdown or in the stingiest punk fan’s collection. It could be simple background music to something bigger happening or it can absorb you completely. Whether you’re sitting alone with headphones, reading the lyrics booklet or sharing a beer with friends, The ’59 Sound is the soundtrack for that moment; it can be the soundtrack for any moment and it would fit.

To put it simply, The’59 Sound is incredible. It is a record that deserves to be heard and will be played over and over again. For those who are expecting to hear Sink or Swim volume two, it may come as a bit of a shock; but the sound grows on you and the record soon feels perfectly comfortable- like you’re hanging out with an old friend you haven’t seen for years, telling stories and remiscining over the good old times.